Kabbalah And Ecology

Kabbalah and Ecology resets the conversation about ecology and the Abrahamic traditions. David Mevorach Seidenberg challenges the anthropocentric reading of the Torah, showing that a radically different orientation to the more-than-human world of nature leads to a more accurate interpretation of scripture, rabbinic texts, Maimonides, and Kabbalah.

In the face of the current environmental crisis—which clearly has moral and spiritual dimensions—members of all the world’s faiths have come to recognize the critical importance of religion’s relationship to ecology. The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Religion and Ecology offers a comprehensive overview of the history and the latest developments in religious engagement with environmental issues throughout the world. Newly commissioned essays from noted scholars of diverse faiths and scientific traditions present the most cutting-edge thinking on religion’s relationship to the environment. Initial readings explore the ways traditional concepts of nature in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and other religious traditions have been shaped by the environmental crisis. Readings then address the changing nature of theology and religious thought in response to the challenges of protecting the environment. Various conceptual issues and themes that transcend individual traditions—climate change, bio-ethics, social justice, ecofeminism, and more—are then analyzed before a final section examines some of the immediate challenges we face in caring for the Earth while looking to the future of religious environmentalism. Timely and thought-provoking, Companion to Religion and Ecology offers illuminating insights into the role of religion in the ongoing struggle to secure the future well-being of our natural world. With a foreword by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, and an Afterword by John Cobb

This volume intends to contribute to the nascent discourse on Judaism and ecology by clarifying diverse conceptions of nature in Jewish thought and by using the insights of Judaism to formulate a constructive Jewish theology of nature.

What is nature's place in our spiritual lives? In today's modern culture, we've become separated from the sacredness of the natural world. This book offers a different, eye- and soul-opening way of viewing our religion: A perspective grounded in nature, and rich in insights for seekers of all faiths. Respect for the holiness of Creation, our duty to protect the natural world, reverence for the land ... a focus on nature is part of the fabric of Jewish thought. Here, innovative contributors bring us a richer understanding of the long-neglected themes of nature that are woven through the biblical creation story, ancient texts, traditional law, the holiday cycles, prayer, mitzvot (good deeds) and community. Ecology & the Jewish Spirit explores the wisdom that the Jewish tradition has to offer all of us, to help nature become a sacred, spiritual part of our own lives. Contributors: Eileen Abrams * Bradley Shavit Artson * Philip J. Bentley * Ellen Bernstein * Ellen Cohn * Eliezer Diamond * Shira Dicker * David Ehrenfeld * Charles Fenyvesi * Shamu Fenyvesi * Dan Fink * Barry Freundel * David Gedzelman * Everett Gendler * Neil Gillman * Neal Joseph Loevinger * Victor Raboy * Debra J. Robbins * Robert Sand * Marc Sirinsky * Jeff Sultar * Marc Swetlitz * Lawrence Troster

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.

Exploring childbirth from within a Jewish tradition, the author of New Lifedraws on folklore, prayers, folk remedies, and biblical, rabbinical, and mystical literature to discuss Jewish beliefs, values, and customs concerning the birth of a child. Winner of the National Jewish Book Award. Reprint.

Dreams of Being Eaten Alive plunges the reader deeply into the sensibility of an explosive realm of knowledge that has remained unfamiliar for too long. David Rosenberg, long considered the leading poet-translator of the Bible, now unveils the literary basis for the Kabbalah as the major counter-tradition in Western history. The Kabbalah becomes news once again, as Rosenberg peels back its philosophical grandeur to a bedrock of eroticism. The pleasures of the flesh and the soul become one, and our desire to be devoured by a form of knowledge greater than art itself lies exposed. Dreams of Being Eaten Alive carries the same authority that gave life to Rosenberg's work in the New York Times best-seller The Book of J, in that this is the first time the Kabbalah has been translated into a Western language in a way that reveals its undeniable importance. Unexpectedly, we meet at last the secret sexuality of the Kabbalah. In narratives that challenge our ideas of what makes a modern story, characters evolve in a bewitching and scary realm somewhere between event and insight, at the unnerving center of what we take to be reality. Like the great stories of the twentieth century, Dreams of Being Eaten Alive enriches our literature by stretching our consciousness. A forgotten link between science and religion shines forth as well, as Rosenberg describes the first manifestations of evolutionary thought in the Kabbalist's literary art. Weaving together the mysteries of identity, storytelling, and life after death, Dreams of Being Eaten Alive is a spellbinding journey from the modern world to the world of our origins, finding new meaning in both.

An insightful exploration of Jewish mysticism—written especially for Christians. Kabbalah is well known as the foundation of the Jewish mystical tradition, but few are aware that Kabbalah’s spiritual applications extend beyond Jewish life. In this accessible, intelligent guide, Tamar Frankiel, PhD, a leading teacher of Jewish mysticism, demystifies the intricate world of Kabbalah. You will find that the teachings of Kabbalah are not only for Jewish scholars—anyone can incorporate this enduring wisdom into everyday life if they have an open mind and a willing heart. Unlike the faddish books that discuss Kabbalah as simply a “magical system,” this book discusses the evolution of Kabbalah from its origins in Judaism and gives Christian readers the vocabulary and tools to begin to understand this long-standing mystical tradition. It also explores the similarities and differences between Jewish and Christian mysticism, placing both in a larger and more comprehensive framework. Explore the kabbalistic Tree of Life to discover how God is expressed in the world around us. Examine your life and discover how it can be understood as part of an unfolding spiritual path. Travel through your personal and collective histories to find a more personal perspective on the principles of Kabbalah. ... and more

An updated and expanded examination into the groundbreaking exploration and connection of two of the most powerful mystical traditions. Patterns in our lives may escape us; reasons for our behavior often confuse us. To help us better understand the interplay of these dynamics, Rabbi Howard A. Addison combines two of the most powerful maps of consciousness known to humanity: the Tree of Life (the sefirot) from the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah, and the nine-pointed Enneagram that was developed over several generations by mystics of several spiritual traditions. Individually, each offers guidance and wisdom; together, they show the forces that propel us and shape our personalities and behavior. Most important, the two suggest how we can live more harmoniously with ourselves and with others, minimize friction and tension and discover our own spiritual gateway to God. In this updated and expanded edition of his pioneering book, Rabbi Addison explores new understandings of the stages and pitfalls we experience along life's journey and the ways we can transcend the limits of our personalities in search of greater wholeness. He shows that, when brought together, the Enneagram and Kabbalah may enhance understanding of humanity's deepest motivations--both individually and collectively--thus opening wider the gate to personal growth.

Because of the well-known red string, worn on the left wrist to ward off negative entergy, the color red is often associated with Kabbalah. But green is also a powerful color in this ancient tradition. It represents the central column between right and left, positive and negative, giving and receiving. As such, green signifies the balance that is so important to the survival of the planet. Green is also the color of healing, both of the soul and of the Earth. Kabbalah teaches that eco-consciousness and higher consciousness are inextricably linked and that the forces of environmental destruction can only be overcome through personal transformation on a global scale. Kabbalah on Green gives new meaning to the popular catchphrase “think globally; act locally.” In its pages, readers learn that true environmental consciousness goes far beyond recycling and simple slogans.