Kabbalah: a Very Short Introduction

Embraced by celebrities and integrated in many contemporary spiritual phenomena, Kabbalah has reaped a wealth of attention in the press. But many critics argue that the form of Kabbalah practiced in Hollywood is more New Age mish-mash than authentic tradition. In this concise and accurate account, Joseph Dan illuminates the relationship between Kabbalah and Christianity on the one hand and New Age religion on the other. He provides fascinating historical background, ranging from the...
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Embraced by celebrities and integrated in many contemporary spiritual phenomena, Kabbalah has reaped a wealth of attention in the press. But many critics argue that the form of Kabbalah practiced in Hollywood is more New Age mish-mash than authentic tradition. In this concise and accurate account, Joseph Dan illuminates the relationship between Kabbalah and Christianity on the one hand and New Age religion on the other. He provides fascinating historical background, ranging from the mystical groups that flourished in ancient Judaism in the East, and the medieval schools of Kabbalah in Northern Spain and Southern France, to the use of kabbalistic ideas in the influential modern Jewish religious movement, Hasidism. And he asks: can there be a positive role for the Kabbalah in the contemporary quest for spirituality?