In Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction, Joseph Dan, one of the world's
leading authorities on Jewish mysticism, offers a concise and highly
accurate look at the history and character of the various systems
developed by the adherents of the Kabbalah.
Dan sheds light on the many misconceptions about what Kabbalah is and
isn't--including its connections to magic, astronomy, alchemy, and
numerology--and he illuminates the relationship between Kaballah and
Christianity on the one hand and New Age religion on the other. The book
provides fascinating historical background, ranging from the mystical
groups that flourished in ancient Judaism in the East, and the medieval
schools of Kabbalah in Northern Spain and Southern France, to the
widening growth of Kabbalah through the school of Isaac Luria of Safed
in the sixteenth century, to the most potent and influential modern
Jewish religious movement, Hasidism, and its use of kabbalistic language
in its preaching. The book examines the key ancient texts of this
tradition, including the Sefer Yezira or "Book of Creation," The Book of
Bahir, and the Zohar. Dan explains Midrash, the classical Jewish
exegesis of scriptures, which assumes an infinity of meanings for every
biblical verse, and he
concludes with a brief survey of scholarship in the field and a list of
books for further reading.
Embraced by celebrities and integrated in many contemporary spiritual
phenomena, Kabbalah has reaped a wealth of attention in the press. But
many critics argue that the form of Kabbalah practiced in Hollywood is
more New Age pabulum than authentic tradition. Can there be a positive
role for the Kabbalah in the contemporary quest for spirituality?
In Kabbalah, Joseph Dan debunks the myths surrounding modern
Kabbalistic practice, offering an engaging and dependable account of
this traditional Jewish religious phenomenon and its impact outside of
Judaism.
About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and
style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of
life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer,
they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central
problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud,
quantum theory to Islam.
