Topics in Judaism (339-0-22)

Topic

Kabbalah

Instructors

Barry Wimpfheimer
847 4912618
Crowe Hall, 1860 Campus Drive, 4-140

Meeting Info

University Hall 318: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, is an esoteric (secret) tradition of deliberating about and experiencing the mysteries of those spaces that are inaccessible to the five senses. Though for much of its history Jewish mysticism has been the province of a select few devotees, at times Kabbalah has flourished as a popular religious movement. Recent years have seen a rise in the popularity of Kabbalah as various celebrities (including Madonna and Ariana Grande) have become affiliated with The Kabbalah Center. This course will introduce the discourse of Kabbalah, think about mysticism as both an experiential and an intellectual tradition and consider why Kabbalah has become so popular today.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand what mysticism is and how it appeals to practitioners
2. Understand what contemporary Kabbalah is and why it has become popular

Teaching Method

Class Materials (Required)

1. Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction by Joseph Dan (Dan). ISBN 0195300343.
2. The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism by Daniel Matt (Matt). ISBN 0062511637
3. Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism by Gershom Scholem. ISBN 0805210423.

Class Attributes

Ethical and Evaluative Thinking Foundational Disci
Ethics & Values Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Religion Majors & Minors, Jewish Studies Minors