I enjoy studying Kabbalah and Judaism, but I found this book hard to relate to. My own personal theological beliefs are quite different from the mainstream of either Judaism or Christianity, and so it is understandable to me that I would find certain ideas that wouldn't resonate with my understanding. Usually, however, I am able to find some applicable ideas within someone else's theological view, that I can, with minor alterations, integrate into my own understanding. For whatever reason, this book just didn't click with me.

That being said, it is probably a fine book for someone with a traditional theology. (

)

jeffd1830 | Sep 15, 2009 |

Scholem is the most competent and scholarly scholar of the kabbalah, and this book throws out some thought-inducing and important stuff. (

)

tuckerresearch | Sep 20, 2006 |

date ▼ | votes

Showing 2 of 2

▾Published reviews

no reviews | add a review

view history

▾Common Knowledge

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Series (with order)

Canonical Title

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Awards and honors

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

Quotations

Last words

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (2)

God in Judaism

Godhead (Judaism)

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com (ISBN 0805210814, Paperback)

On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead: Basic Concepts of the Kabbalah is Gershom Scholem's introduction to the essential terms of Jewish mysticism. His chapter on Shekhinah--the kabbalist symbol of the female element of the godhead--helps explain why Kabbalah has a growing following among women. His chapter on Gilgul, or reincarnation, is fascinating for its description of how a spiritual phenomenon is formed, following the process from revelation to writing to teaching. And his final chapter on Tselem, or the astral body, will make you think twice about laughing at Shirley MacLaine. The astral body, according to Kabbalah, is the spiritual nature of each human being--the image of God described in Genesis 1. Scholem quotes pages of medieval rabbis' fantastic discoveries of their astral bodies, such as the following:

When I wished to find knowledge of the secrets of Creation, I came upon a dark vault within the depths of the earth, filled with blowing winds.... Then there appeared to me in my sleep a shape of most wondrous beauty [giving me instructions on how to conduct myself in order to attain knowledge of the highest things]. I then said to him: "Who are you?" And he answered: "I am your perfected nature."

--Michael Joseph Gross

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:54 -0400)

(see all 2 descriptions)

▾Open Shelves Classification

The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details.