Kabbalah in Art and Architecture PDF Download

Author: Alexander Gorlin
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780500517055
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 0

View

Book Description
The Kabbalistic idea of creation, as expressed through light, space and geometry, has left its unmistakable mark on our civilization. Drawing upon a wide array of historical materials and images of contemporary art, sculpture and architecture, architect Alexander Gorlin explores the influence, whether actually acknowledged or not, of the Kabbalah on modern design.

Author: Johann Reuchlin
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 9780803289468
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 412

View

Book Description
Reuchlin?s keen interest in Jewish mysticism resulted in the original publication of this work in 1517. The first part of this dialogue reflects on messianism, the second part on the relation of the Pythagorean system to the Kabbalah, and the third on the "practical Kabbalah." ø The German humanist Johann Reuchlin (1455-1522) defended the value of Jewish scholarship and literature when it was unwise and unpopular to do so. As G. Lloyd Jones points out, "A marked mistrust of the Jews had developed among Christian scholars during the later Middle Ages. It was claimed that the rabbis had purposely falsified the text of the Old Testament and given erroneous explanations of passages which were capable of a christological interpretation." Christian scholars most certainly did not advocate learning the Hebrew language. ø Reuchlin was exceptional in pursuing and promoting Hebrew studies, believing that a working knowledge of that language was essential for a true appreciation of the Bible and rabbinic literature. Refusing to join Christian contemporaries who wished to destroy the Kabbalah and the Talmud, he spoke out against ignorance. Christians could have a useful dialogue with Jews if they gained a thorough knowledge of the writings of Jewish exegetes and philosophers. Toward that end he proposed university endowments that aroused the fury of opponents and led to the famous "battle of the books." ø Reuchlin's keen interest in Jewish mysticism resulted in the publication of De arte cabalistica in 1517. The first part of this dialogue reflects on messianism, the second part on the relation of the Pythagorean system to the Kabbalah, and tdhe third on the "practical Kabbalah." According to Jones, "Reuchlin demonstrates how Christians can make profitable use of Jewish mystical writings, and therefore shares with the reader his understanding of the art of the Kabbalah." That art will reach more readers in this modern English-language translation by Martin and Sarah Goodman. It reinforces the historical importance of the man who prevented the destruction of Jewish books and anticipated the more liberal climate of the Reformation.

Author: Eitan P. Fishbane
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190885475
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 535

View

Book Description
In the study of Judaism, the Zohar has captivated the minds of interpreters for over seven centuries, and continues to entrance readers in contemporary times. Yet despite these centuries of study, very little attention has been devoted to the literary dimensions of the text, or to formal appreciation of its status as one of the great works of religious literature. The Art of Mystical Narrative offers a critical approach to the zoharic story, seeking to explore the interplay between fictional discourse and mystical exegesis. Eitan Fishbane argues that the narrative must be understood first and foremost as a work of the fictional imagination, a representation of a world and reality invented by the thirteenth-century authors of the text. He claims that the text functions as a kind of dramatic literature, one in which the power of revealing mystical secrets is demonstrated and performed for the reading audience. The Art of Mystical Narrative offers a fresh, interdisciplinary perspective on the Zohar and on the intersections of literary and religious studies.

Author: Batsheva Goldman-Ida
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004290265
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 488

View

Book Description
Hasidic Art and the Kabbalah presents eight case studies of manuscripts, ritual objects, and folk art developed by Hasidic masters in the mid-eighteenth to late nineteenth centuries, whose form and decoration relate to sources in the Zohar, German Pietism, and Safed Kabbalah. Examined at the delicate and difficult to define interface between seemingly simple, folk art and complex ideological and conceptual outlooks which contain deep, abstract symbols, the study touches on aspects of object history, intellectual history, the decorative arts, and the history of religion. Based on original texts, the focus of this volume is on the subjective experience of the user at the moment of ritual, applying tenets of process philosophy and literary theory – Wolfgang Iser, Gaston Bachelard, and Walter Benjamin – to the analysis of objects.

Author: Daniel Kohn
Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub
ISBN: 9781591097266
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 182

View

Book Description
BASED ON DANIEL KOHN'S experiences as a rabbi and martial artist, Kinesthetic Kabbalah examines the parallels between the ancient Jewish mystical teachings of Kabbalah and Eastern philosophy as manifested in the Japanese defensive martial art of aikido. Kinesthetic Kabbalah is a practical guide that draws on both spiritual systems to present a manual of principles and practices to change ourselves and improve the world around us. Kohn presents stories, anecdotes, and insights, as well as teachings and suggestions for developing a more peaceful, spiritually centered way of relating to others and managing situations of tension and hostility in an increasingly threatening world. For mystics and realists alike, Kinesthetic Kabbalah offers an in-depth spiritual analysis of martial arts and mysticism and presents its lessons in an approachable, non-sectarian way. This book is a manual that draws on two vastly different traditions, yet uncovers surprising parallels and immediately presents practices for self-improvement. "[Rabbi Daniel Kohn] has a very accessible, fluid, and patient writing style which is in itself, calming to read. It remind[s] me of the feeling I get when reading the work of Thich Nhat Hahn. [M]any people will gain insight, knowledge, and enjoyment from [this book], regardless of their spiritual background." --Mary Winifred Hood, Charleston Tibetan Society (Past President) If you would like to contact this author by email, please use the following address: [email protected]

Author: Mark Elber
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1605508837
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 418

View

Book Description
Furnishing an accessible introduction to the traditions and teachings of the Kabbalah, this informative volume discusses the origins, history, study, and trends of Jewish mysticism, covering such topics as meditation and mystical techniques, the Kabbalahistic theory of creation and the human role in the universe, Kabbalahistic philosophy, and more.

Author: Ophiel
Publisher: Weiser Books
ISBN: 9781578633128
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 164

View

Book Description
No longer an unintelligible mystery, Caballa magic is explained in this lively, practical guide to occult magic in accessible language with clear instructions for practical productive work using the symbols of the Tree of Life daily. Original.

Author: Daniel C. Matt
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062048139
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 757

View

Book Description
A translation of the Kabbalah for the layperson includes a compact presentation of each primary text and features a practical analysis and vital historical information that offer insight into the various aspects of Jewish mysticism.

Author: Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0767924134
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 210

View

Book Description
Sometime, somewhere, someone is searching for answers . . . . . . in a thirteenth-century castle . . . on a train to a concentration camp . . . in a New York city apartment Hidden within the binding of an ancient text that has been passed down through the ages lies the answer to one of the heart’s eternal questions. When the text falls into the hands of Rabbi Kalman Stern, he has no idea that his lonely life of intellectual pursuits is about to change once he opens the book. Soon afterward, he meets astronomer Isabel Benveniste, a woman of science who stirs his soul as no woman has for many years. But Kalman has much to learn before he can unlock his heart and let true love into his life. The key lies in the mysterious document he finds inside the Zohar, the master text of the Kabbalah.

Author: Peter Levenda
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 0826428509
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 274

View

Book Description
The idea of heavenly ascent, while popularized in Jewish mysticism, is neither a unique nor recent one. Expertly tracing its origins back to the ancient Middle East, Levenda unearths ascent literature in Africa, India, and China, discerns a common connection in the heavens themselves, and determines that this connection has been sorely neglected in contemporary scholarship. Because scholars treat the "heavens" as metaphorical, it is necessary to recreate the physical context of the culture under discussion in order to better understand it. For the benefit of the reader, Levenda offers two useful concepts for his investigative journey: a "map," whereby he means the cosmological system to better understand the mystical technologies of each culture investigated, and a "vehicle," the method by which the individual equipped with special knowledge is able to navigate the culture's particular cosmology. With these two tools, Levenda travels from the worlds of ancient Egypt and Babylon to the Hebrew Bible, to Jewish and Christian kabbalists, to Daoists in ancient China, to Hindu Tantra and Haitian Vodoun, and, finally, to nineteenth and twentieth century European occult societies.