Fall 2005
Prof. Mary Suydam
Office: Ascension 309
Office Hours T - Th. 10-12
PBX 5067
Mysticism, Magic, and Kabbalah in Judaism
| Religion 313 Fall 2005 Prof. Mary Suydam Office: Ascension 309 Office Hours T - Th. 10-12 PBX 5067 |
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Required Books:
Blumenthal, David. Understanding Jewish Mysticism, vols. 1 and 2. NY: KATV Publishing.
Dan, J., and Keiner, P., trans. Early Kabbalah. NY: Paulist Press.
Holtz, Barry, ed. Back to the Sources. Boston: Beacon Press.
Martin, Luther. Hellenistic Religions. NY: Oxford University Press.
On Course Reserve and/or E-Res:
Idel, Moshe. Kabbalah: New Perspectives.
Jonas, Hans. The Gnostic Religion.
Scholem, Gershom. Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism
Link to Kenyon LBIS Home page and E-Res.
Course Requirements
All students will write 1-2 page papers each week to aid in preparing for discussions of the texts. Ongoing interpretation of mystical texts is an important part of this class. Active participation in discussions is a critical component of grappling with the texts. Missing more than two classes or two weekly papers will lower your final grade by one full point (B becomes C, for example). For study partners list, click here.
Midterm and final exam questions will be given in advance. The final exam will
be take-home and will be due on the day of the scheduled final exam. The final exam must be typed and double-spaced and will not exceed 5 pages.
Each student will select an aspect of the Jewish mystical tradition (e.g., the attitude towards Torah in the Zohar; female God-language, the Merkebah vision of God), explain it clearly, and relate it to the Jewish religious tradition: is there tension between the traditions, or does this aspect of Jewish mysticism evolve naturally from the rabbinic tradition? This is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to understand, analyze, and write clearly about a facet of Jewish mysticism that interests them. Each student is expected to discuss his or her topic with the instructor no later than Friday, October 21. Papers will not exceed 7 pages and must be typed and double-spaced. The paper is due the last day of class. NO LATE PAPERS! For guidelines on papers, see The Ten Commandments of Essay Writing
Topics
| Week 1: The Roman World Mon. Aug. 29: What is Jewish mysticism? Wed. Aug. 31: The late Roman world Fri. Sept. 2: Discussion: The late Roman religious world -----Readings: Luther Martin, Hellenistic Religions, introduction and chaps. 1 and 3 Assignment 1 |
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| Week 2: The Jewish World Mon. Sept. 5: The early rabbinic period: The Mishnah Wed. Sept. 7: Jewish Biblical interpretation: Midrash Assignment 2 Fri. Sept. 9: Discussion: Mishnah and midrash Assignment 3 -----Readings: Genesis 3 Midrash sampler Mishnah sampler Holtz, Back to the Sources, chapter 1 Week 3: Gnostic World Views Valentinian Gnosis Gnostic Glossary Mon. Sept. 12: Judaism and Gnosticism Wed. Sept. 14: Archons, divine sparks, and the pleroma Fri. Sept. 16: Discussion: gnosticism Assignment 4 -----Readings: Handout: The Hypostasis of the Archons |
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| Week 4: Magic and the Roman World Mon. Sept. 19: Divination Wed. Sept. 21: Feminine powers fri. Sept. 23: Discussion: Jewish magic -----Readings: Martin, Hellenistic Religions, chapters 2 and 5 Holtz, chapter 2, pages 129-136 Swartz, Scholastic Magic (E-Res) Driver, Transformation: The Magic of Ritual (E-Res) Handout, The Sefer HaRazim Assignment 5 Class Insights |
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| Week 5: Merkavah Mysticism Mon. Sept. 26: Thrones, chariots, and the vision of God Ezekiel's Vision Ezekiel Glossary Wed. Sept. 28: Magic and revelation in merkevah texts Fri. Sept. 30: Discussion of the Merkebah Assignment 6 -----Readings: Blumenthal, Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, vol. 1, 47-91 -- Scholem, "Merkebah Mysticism and Jewish Gnosticism", pp. 40-63 (E-Res) Class insights: the Merkebah |
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Week 6: The Shi'ur Qomah and the Sefer Yetsirah
Mon. Oct. 3: God's body: rabbinic and mysticalJudaism
Weds. Oct. 5:Creation and Speech
Fri. Oct. 7: Discussion: God's body, God's Speech
-----Readings: Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, 41-79 (E-Res)
Handout: excerpts from the Shi'ur Qomah
Blumenthal, Understanding Jewish Mysticism, vol. 1, 5-46
Blumenthal: The Creator and the Computer
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| Week 7: Talmudic Judaism Wed. Oct. 12: The Talmudic Period:Judaism in the Christian and Islamic Worlds Rabbinic Glossary Timeline: Islamic History Fri.. Oct. 14: Discussion: Talmud MIDTERM HANDED OUT -----Readings: Holtz, Back to the Sources, chapter 2 |
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III Early Kabbalah
| Week 8: Judaism in the Middle Ages Mon. Oct. 17: Plotinus and Neoplatonism; Medieval Judaism MIDTERM DUE IN CLASS Wed. Oct. 19: Discussion: Medieval Bible Commentary Derash and Peshat Examples European Antisemitism in the Middle Ages Fri. Oct. 21: The Bahir -----Readings: Holtz, Back to the Sources, chapters 3 and 4 Assignment 8 |
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Week 9: The development of Kabbalah, 1100-1300
Mon. Oct. 24: Isaac the Blind and the Gerona mystics
Wed. Oct. 26: Isaac the Blind and the Gerona mystics continued
Fri. Oct. 28: Discussion, early Kabbalah
-----Readings: Early Kabbalah, 28-31, 57-69 (the Bahir), 31-36, 73-86, 89-96, 97-99, 111-132, 153-182
IV Kabbalah
| Week 10: The Zohar Mon. Oct. 31: Moses de Leon Wed. Nov. 2: The cosmic system Fri. Nov. 4: Discussion: Ein-Sof and Sefirot; the Jewish concept of God Assignment 10 -----Readings: Blumenthal, Understanding Jewish Mysticism, vol. 1, 103-119, 121-125, 126-139 Holtz, Back to the Sources,305-329 Week 11: God, humans and actions according to the Zohar Mon. Nov. 7: The Zohar and evil Wed. Nov. 9: The human dimension Fri. Nov. 11: Discussion: the Zohar and humanity Assignment 11 -----Readings: Blumenthal, Understanding Jewish Mysticism, vol. 1, 141-157 Holtz, Back to the Sources, chapter 6, 329-340 Symbolism for Tiferet and Malkhut |
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| Week 12: Ecstatic Kabbalah: Through a Mirror that Shines Mon. Nov. 14: Maimonides and Jewish Mysticism Reading: Blumenthal, Understanding Jewish Mysticism, vol.2, 3-35 Assignment 12 Maimonidean Philosophical Terms Wed. Nov. 16: Abraham Abulafia: Mystical Techniques Blumenthal, Understanding Jewish Mysticism, vol.2, 37-53 Abulafian Glossary Fri. Nov. 18: Discussion: Jewish mystical techniques -----Readings: 37-81 Moshe Idel, Kabbalah: New Perspectives, chapter 5 (E-Res) Mandala Examples Gallery of Pictorial Kabballah symbols Blumenthal, Understanding Jewish Mysticism, vol.2, 54-79 Paper Topics Due -----------------THANKSGIVING BREAK -------------- |
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| Week 13: Jewish gnosticism revisited: Isaac Luria (16th century) The Expulsion from Spain: A Chronicle Mon. Nov. 28: Isaac Luria' s interpretation of the Zohar Wed. Nov. 30: Repairing the breech: Kavannah Fri. Dec. 2: Discussion: Lurianic Kabbalah -----Readings: Blumenthal, Understanding Jewish Mysticism, vol.1, 159-176 Assignment 13 |
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| Week 14: Hasidism and Kabbalah Mon. Dec. 5: The origins of Hasidism Wed. Dec. 7: The way of Devekut -----Readings: Blumenthal, Understanding Jewish Mysticism, vol.2, 127-147 The Nigun Nigun Samples Fri. Dec. 9, 12: Discussion: Hasidic Prayer Tale of the Seven Beggars Assignment 14 |
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Papers due last day of class
