Kabbalah and eros
By Moshe Idel
Moshe Idel, recognized as a leading authority on Kabbalistic studies, presents a profound exploration of how Jewish mystical traditions have understood the sacred dimensions of erotic love. This comprehensive work spans centuries of mystical literature, from ancient texts through the spiritual writings of Polish Hasidism, revealing the rich diversity of perspectives on eros within Kabbalistic thought.
The book examines a fascinating religious concept that appears throughout Jewish mystical literature: the sacred union between masculine and feminine divine attributes. Idel investigates how this mystical understanding of divine eros became so central to Jewish spirituality that it found its way into the traditional prayer book itself. His analysis reveals how Kabbalistic thinkers drew not only from rabbinic sources but also incorporated Greek philosophical concepts, creating a more expansive vision of sacred love.
Through careful scholarship, Idel traces the evolution of these mystical teachings across different eras and geographical regions. The work addresses cosmic dimensions of eros, concepts of divine androgyneity, and connections between Kabbalistic thought and modern psychological insights, including those of Carl Jung. The author also explores how these ancient mystical perspectives relate to contemporary feminist theological discussions.
This scholarly yet accessible study offers readers interested in spirituality, mysticism, and the intersection of sexuality and the sacred a unique window into how one of the world's great mystical traditions has understood the divine nature of erotic love.
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Sex, religious aspects
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects of Sex
- ✓ Explore Sexualität
- ✓ Explore Kabbala
- ✓ Understand the nature of love
- ✓ Explore Eroticism
- ✓ Explore Erotik
Topics
Details
- Published
- 2005
- Publisher
- Yale University Press
- ISBN-10
- 030010832X
- Pages
- 371
- Language
- EN
- LC Classification
- BM526.I337 2005
