Kabbalah and Jewish Modernity [Hardcover]

This sociological reading of the kabbalistic ideas of the early modern period suggests that they gained acceptance because they responded to the needs of contemporary Jewish society. Although they were presented as continuing a tradition, their goal was reformation: few aspects of Jewish life were not changed in consequence. This broadly based and innovative study challenges accepted ideas on the origins of Jewish modernity, and also shows how Counter-Reformation Catholicism affected these developments. The Hebrew edition of the book was awarded the Goren-Gottstein Prize for the Best Book in Jewish Thought 2010-2012This sociological reading of the kabbalistic ideas of the early modern period suggests that they gained acceptance because they responded to the needs of contemporary Jewish society. Although they were presented as continuing a tradition, their goal was reformation: few aspects of Jewish life were not changed in consequence. This broadly based and innovative study challenges accepted ideas on the origins of Jewish modernity, and also shows how Counter-Reformation Catholicism affected these developments. The Hebrew edition of the book was awarded the Goren-Gottstein Prize for the Best Book in Jewish Thought 2010-2012'This book is essential for understanding early modern Jewish religious thought and would be a valuable addendum for studies on the broader impact of early modern movements in Christianity. The English is polished and no previous knowledge of kabbalah is necessary for full comprehension. The concise text is rich in content and stimulating in its broad outlook. This study is not only a useful tool for crosscultural comparisons but it itself is a model for such a study. It could only be written by a person who has mastery both in early modern history and in early modern thought both Jewish and general. Luckily, the author meets these requirements and the result is a model monograph.' -- Shaul Stampfer, Religious Studies Review