List of Jewish mysticism scholars

This page lists historian scholars of Jewish mysticism. For theological scholars see List of Jewish Kabbalists: modern teachers of Jewish mysticism
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Scholem Collection of Jewish mysticism archive room in the National Library of Israel (Hebrew University campus), Jerusalem

Academic-historical research into Jewish mysticism is a modern multi-discipline University branch of Jewish studies. It studies the texts and historical contexts of Judaic mysticism using objective historical-critical methods of Religious studies, such as Philology, History of ideas, Social history and Phenomenology. The historical development of Jewish mysticism under study covers the range of phases, forms and expressions, from early Rabbinic Merkabah mysticism, through Medieval Hasidei Ashkenaz and Classical Kabbalah, early-modern Safed Kabbalah and Sabbateanism, to modern Hasidism and 20th century expressions. It is often seen as a parallel field to academic research into rationalist Jewish philosophy, though some scholars contribute in both areas. In Israel both subjects, together with Ethical literature, share the unbrella department of Jewish thought.

Historical research into Jewish mysticism was first prepared by the 19th century Wissenschaft des Judentums school, whose historiography ignored, opposed or downplayed Kabbalah. The founding of the present flourishing University discipline is attributed to Gershom Scholem and his school in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the 20th century, whose historiography positioned Jewish mysticism as a mainstream vitalising source in the centre of Jewish development. A second generation of scholars are today found in Israel, the United States and Europe. The field is broadly divided into three camps:[1]

  1. Professors/researchers of Jewish mysticism/thought in academia, who study Jewish mysticism through its internal textual development
  2. Professors/researchers of Jewish history/society in academia, who contribute to the study of Jewish mysticism through its external social contexts
  3. Independent historian researchers outside of Universities, who follow a religious historiography, but use the scholarly academic apparatus of research, sourcing and presentation. This research is most common in relation to Hasidism, due to its social popularisation of Kabbalah. These works are not usually cited in the critical-methodology of academia, but work is being done to examine their findings

Spiritual figures within the Jewish mystical tradition are not listed here, but in Timeline List of Jewish Kabbalists. Contemporary teachers of Jewish mysticism across the Jewish denominations, listed there, should only be listed here if they also publish scholarly-form historical research into Jewish mysticism. Academic scholars of Jewish mysticism have followed a diverse range in personal belief commitment or detachment to Jewish mysticism, independent of their research.

Prelude historians of Judaism before Scholem

Academic scholars of Jewish mysticism/thought

Israel

United States

Europe

Academic scholars of Jewish history/society

Israel

Europe

Religious historiography researchers of Jewish mysticism

Only scholars whose writings include research in the historical development or biographies of Jewish mysticism should be included here, not those who have published solely theological works or commentaries on Jewish mysticism. They should be included in Modern teachers of Jewish mysticism instead:

United States

See also

References

  1. ↑ Studies in East European Jewish Mysticism and Hasidism (Littman Library of Jewish Civilization). The introduction by Joseph Dan surveys the field of Jewish mysticism academia today, citing the first two categories as two departments in Universities: the (philological) "mystics" and the (social) "historians". In the past, each kept to separate domains, but now multi-disciplinary crossover fertilisation prevails. The third, religious historiography camp is referenced in the academic scholarship, welcoming the research, but cautioning use of its findings
  2. ↑ Hasidism Reappraised, edited by Ada Rapoport-Albert, Littman Library. Proceedings from London conference surveying recent scholarship on Hasidism, dedicated in memory of Joseph Weiss, including chapter on his life
  3. ↑ Kabbalah: New Perspectives, Moshe Idel, Yale University Press 1990
  4. ↑ Convening the first comprehensive academic history of Hasidism, due for publication by Littman Library: Emergent Hasidism-Spontaneity and Institutionalization (2016) and Messianic Hasidism-From Nineteenth Century Bratslav to Twentieth Century Habad (2017)

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