Kabbalah

Secrecy, Scandal and the Soul

Harry Freedman

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Hardback

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English

Continuum
01 April 2019

Religion & beliefs; History of religion; Judaism: mysticism; Jewish studies; Kabbalah: popular works

Kabbalah is popularly known as a fashionable system for personal and spiritual insight, its popularity driven by rock stars, sharp-suited West Coast rabbis out for a fast buck and seekers after truth. Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore, Britney Spears and even Princess Eugenie have all attested to their devotion to this Jewish mystical tradition. But behind the hype and simplicities of 'pop-Kabbalah' lies an ancient, complex and very profound system that can take a lifetime to master.

Kabbalah is difficult to define. The very phrase 'story of Kabbalah' is as opaque and mysterious as the topic itself. This of course is its appeal. The word itself means 'received'. For over half a millennium, individuals and movements with no attachment to Judaism have incorporated Kabbalah into their own spiritual traditions. Kabbalah flourished in the Renaissance and its method was adopted in varying measures by Hermeticists, Rosicrucians, Freemasons and tarot card readers. Isaac Newton, Gottfried Leibnitz, Carl Jung and Harold Bloom have all admitted to the influence of Kabbalah. But it all goes back to the Hebrew Bible where the prophet Ezekiel described in detail his vision of the heavenly throne, perceived as a chariot.

Today in Israel the power of Kabbalah is taken for granted, particularly among Oriental Jews and the Hasidim. Mystical rabbis bless babies, newly-wed couples, newly-built houses. They will even bless your business or political party for the right fee.

Such is the strange and intriguing world of Kabbalah.

By: Harry Freedman
Imprint: Continuum
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
Weight: 594g
ISBN: 9781472950987
ISBN 10: 1472950984
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 01 April 2019
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

List of Illustrations Preface Introduction The Origins of Kabbalah Out of the East The Beginning of Kabbalah Radiance Christian Cabala The City of Mystics Cabala and the Occult Sciences Golem Good, Evil and the life of the Soul Critics and Crisis Decline and Revival Hasidism The Occult Revival Towards Modernity The New Age Appendix: A Very Brief Outline for the Sefirot Glossary Notes Bibliography Index A Note on the Author Plates

Harry Freedman is a writer and academic with a PhD in Aramaic. His publications include The Gospels' Veiled Agenda, The Murderous History of Bible Translations and The Talmud: A Biography. He has written for the Guardian, Jewish Chronicle, Jewish Quarterly, Judaism Today and contributed to the Encyclopaedia of Modern Jewish Culture.

Reviews for Kabbalah: Secrecy, Scandal and the Soul

Welcome to the curious but fascinating world of Harry Freedman’s Kabbalah: Secrecy, Scandal and the Soul, a cheerfully non-partisan, no-frills attempt at demystifying one of the world’s most mysterious, opaque and esoteric spiritual traditions. * Spectator * Freedman navigates the story with great skill and good judgment […] In a secular age such as our own, when popular theological literacy is at an all-time low [he] has undoubtedly done a great service by rescuing Kabbalah from the pile * Daily Telegraph * This comprehensive guide to an important religious tradition will appeal to both readers of Jewish history and general readers of spirituality * Publishers Weekly *