PDF Ebook The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel
Discover the trick to boost the quality of life by reading this The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel This is a kind of publication that you require currently. Besides, it can be your favorite publication to review after having this book The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel Do you ask why? Well, The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel is a book that has different particular with others. You might not need to know who the writer is, how famous the job is. As wise word, never ever judge the words from who speaks, however make the words as your good value to your life.
The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel
PDF Ebook The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel
Just how if your day is started by checking out a book The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel But, it remains in your device? Everyone will constantly touch and us their gizmo when waking up and in early morning activities. This is why, we intend you to additionally read a book The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel If you still puzzled how you can obtain guide for your device, you can comply with the way here. As right here, our company offer The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel in this website.
Well, e-book The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel will certainly make you closer to what you are prepared. This The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel will certainly be always buddy at any time. You might not forcedly to always complete over reading a book in other words time. It will certainly be only when you have spare time and also spending few time to make you feel satisfaction with just what you review. So, you can obtain the definition of the message from each sentence in guide.
Do you recognize why you must review this site and what the connection to checking out publication The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel In this modern-day era, there are many means to acquire the e-book and they will certainly be considerably easier to do. One of them is by getting the publication The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel by online as what we tell in the link download. The publication The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel can be a choice due to the fact that it is so appropriate to your requirement now. To get guide on-line is extremely simple by simply downloading them. With this opportunity, you could review the e-book anywhere and also whenever you are. When taking a train, awaiting checklist, and awaiting an individual or other, you can review this online e-book The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel as a buddy again.
Yeah, reviewing an e-book The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel could add your pals checklists. This is one of the formulas for you to be effective. As recognized, success does not suggest that you have excellent things. Understanding and knowing greater than various other will certainly provide each success. Next to, the notification and impression of this The Mystic Quest: An Introduction To Jewish Mysticism, By David S. Ariel can be taken and selected to act.
The Mystic Quest explains the major ideas and concepts of Jewish mystical thought in a way that the general reader can clearly understand. Drawing upon his own extensive research as well as on the growing body of scholarly material on the subject, Dr. David Ariel, president of the Cleveland College of Jewish Studies, presents the extremely difficult and complex elements of Jewish mysticism in language that makes it accessible to the layperson.
Jewish mysticism is as old as the Bible itself. It is a rich and subtle web of secret teachings and practices that has been part of Judaism since antiquity and has sought to keep the original spark of religious experience alive through the centuries. It is the relatively unknown, esoteric dimension of Judaism that has nourished a deep spiritual power within a tradition of law, ritual, and observance.
A central element in Judaism, the "mystic quest" has shaped both Judaism and Jews throughout history, generating the kabbalistic tradition and Hasidism, which continue to thrive today, As Ariel says, "This book is concerned primarily with the development and meaning of the Kabbalah, the principal tradition of mystical Jewish thought."
The Mystic Quest begins with an examination of the variety of phenomena known in different cultures as "mysticism." Ariel then located the Jewish mystical tradition within the context of Jewish history and traces its evolution throughout the ages. Jewish mystical theories about the hidden and revealed God, the feminine aspects of divinity, the mystical Torah, and the concepts of the soul and human destiny are then explored in detail. Finally, the author considers Hasidism and modern Jewish mystical thought, discussing the role of mysticism in contemporary Judaism.
In language accessible to the beginner, yet sophisticated enough to captivate the advanced student, The Mystic Quest fills an important gap in our knowledge of mysticism by bringing a comprehensive and fresh understanding of the subject to a new generation of
- Sales Rank: #1093091 in eBooks
- Published on: 1977-07-07
- Released on: 1977-07-07
- Format: Kindle eBook
Amazon.com Review
The Mystic Quest by David S. Ariel may be the most accessible and sophisticated introduction to Jewish mysticism available. Ariel starts by comparing Jewish mysticism to Christian mystical traditions, drawing on writers such as William James and Sigmund Freud to define his terms. He then provides a history of Jewish mysticism, starting with Ezekiel's vision of the chariot and working up to the present day, with special attention to the ways that kabbalah has influenced mainstream Judaism. (One notable detail is that Lekha Dodi, or "Come, My Beloved," the Friday-evening prayer, is a hymn to the kabbalist-derived feminine dimension of God.) In the book's concluding chapters, Ariel gives practical advice about how contemporary Jews can cultivate mystical spirituality. By demonstrating the pervasive mystical dimension of Jewish culture, Ariel gives his Jewish readers the great gift of enlarging their understanding of what they already know, enabling them to find new revelation in the religion that has always guided them. --Michael Joseph Gross
From Publishers Weekly
The Jewish mystical tradition is unknown to most Jews today, yet for centuries prior to the French Revolution mysticism was an important current in Judaism. Rabbis in second-century Israel practiced visualization techniques and meditation. Kabbalists, beginning in Provence around 1175, deciphered the "ten numerals"God's personal aspect. To the early Jewish mystics, God's wisdom ( Hokhmah ) prefigured everything that might come into existence; each person possessed a higher and lower soul; and God's feminine, caring aspect ( Shekhinah ) was locked in holy marriage with his masculine component. Jewish mystics' detailed deathbed visions, as reported here, bear direct comparison to modern parapsychologists' accounts of after-death experiences. Ariel's ( Eastern Dawn of Wisdom ) brilliant study is the first comprehensive history of Jewish mysticism to make its ideas accessible to the nonspecialist. Readers, Jewish or non-Jewish, with an interest in mysticism will find much knowledge here.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Ariel discusses the nature, history, character, and principles of Jewish mysticism. He also details number symbolism, reference to the feminine aspect of God, the idea of Torah as God's emanation, destiny of the soul, religious life of the mystic, and modern Jewish mysticism. The book is useful for general readers and specialists, but it does not oversimplify. It is an excellent, comprehensive study. Highly recommended for seminary and academic libraries; large public libraries should consider.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Most helpful customer reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
An Excellent and Lucid Introduction
By Cameron B. Clark
I'm currently reading this book along with many others related to mysticism. This is an excellent and clearly presented introduction to Jewish mysticism. The chapter titles are as follows: 1) Seekers of Unity: The Nature of Mysticism 2) Bridging the Abyss: The History of Jewish Mysticism 3) Living with the Abyss: The Character of Jewish Mysticism 4) The Hidden and the Revealed: The Principles of Jewish Mysticism 5) The Calculus of the Divine World: The Teaching of the Sefirot 6) The Shekhinah: The Feminine Aspect of God 7) Language and Being: The Torah as God's Emanation 8) The Oneness of Being: The Destiny of the Soul 9) The Mystic Drama: The Religious Life of the Jewish Mystic 10) Uplifting the Sparks: Modern Jewish Mysticism 11) Jewish Mysticism and the Mystic Quest
For those interested in Christian Mysticism, check out the multi-volume "The Presence of God" series by Bernard McGinn, esp. the first volume "The Foundations of Mysticism." - Brad Clark
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Well-written, accessible, and Jewishly authentic
By Rabbi Yonassan Gershom
This is one of the better introductions to Jewish mysticism on the market today. Although written in an academic style (plenty of citations, footnotes, etc.) it is still spirit-filled and inspiring. Unlike the overly-ponderous works of Gershom Scholem, this is a book that the average person with a college-level reading ability can pick up and understand.
The author, David Ariel, is (or was at the time this was published) President of the Cleveland College of Jewish Studies, and, I would assume, produced this book to fill a gap in the usual (i.e., heavily Christian/gentile) college philosophy curriculum. By doing so, he has no doubt educated quite a few professors as well as their students in the beauty and complexities of various forms of Jewish mysticism.
Ariel begins with the question "What is mysticism?" and a discussion of some non-Jewish writers on mystical topics, such a William James, Sigmund Freud, Aldous Huxley, Evelyn Underhill, etc. -- names whose works are generally more familiar to philosophy students than those of the Jewish mystics. He then goes on to present the basic concepts of Jewish mysticism (kabbalah) chapter by chapter, drawing on commentaries, Zohar, classical anecdotes from Jewish tradition, excerpts from the synagogue liturgy, etc.
One of the best features of this book is Ariel's gift for translating "archaic" symbols into modern language. On pp. 98-99, for example, he give a glossary of kabbalistic symbols and terms, then challenges the reader to use them to decipher a cryptic passage from the Zohar -- which becomes quite clear, once you understand the "code." He does an equally nice job with "Lecha Dodi," a Sabbath hymn that every Jewish congregation sings on Friday evening, but whose deeper kabbalistic meanings are seldom understood. His original translations of source materials are also excellent, making this a very accessible book without "talking down" to the reader. Highly recommended.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
An introduction with great reach
By Eric Maroney
David Ariel does an admirable job of introducing the Kabala to general readers without sinking into the marsh of New Age hogwash. This work presents the Kabala in a Jewish context. Ariel presents this material simply, but is not afraid to get into the nitty- gritty of the relationship between the sephirot in endless configurations, the place of Jewish mysticism in traditional Jewish religious life, the fate of mysticism in modern times, magic and the Kabala, and the possible future of Jewish mystical studies. He sets up the fundamental question of the work at the very beginning and then does an excellent job of answering it: as Judaism progressed, God became increasingly abstract. During the Middle Ages, the gulf between God and humans became even greater. Ariel shows how the Kabala was an attempt to keep that distance between an ineffable, unknowable God, and also to bring that God closer to the life of the people. The Kabala steered a sometimes contradictory course between these two poles, and Ariel shows us how.
See all 7 customer reviews...
The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel PDF
The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel EPub
The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel Doc
The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel iBooks
The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel rtf
The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel Mobipocket
The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel Kindle
~ PDF Ebook The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel Doc
~ PDF Ebook The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel Doc
~ PDF Ebook The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel Doc
~ PDF Ebook The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, by David S. Ariel Doc
