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In “And They Shall Be One Flesh”: On the Language of Mystical Union in Judaism, Adam Afterman offers an extensive study of mystical union and embodiment in Judaism. Afterman argues that Philo was the first to articulate the notion of unio mystica in Judaism and is the source of the henōsis mysticism in the later Neoplatonic tradition. The study provides a detailed analysis of the Jewish medieval trends that developed different forms of mystical union and mystical embodiment through the divine name and spirit. The book argues that the development of unitive mysticism in Judaism is the fruit of the creative synthesis of rabbinic Judaism and Hellenistic and Arab philosophy, and a natural outcome of the theological articulation of the idea of monotheism itself.
Price: $183.00
Pages: 280
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill
Series: Supplements to The Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy
Publication Date:
25 August 2016
ISBN: 9789004328723
Format: Hardcover
"In this work Afterman (Jewish mysticism and philosophy, Tel Aviv Univ., Israel) focuses on a central issue in the study and interpretation of Jewish mystical texts (Kabbalah): Did Jewish mystics have unitive experiences (unio mystica) with the divine—experiences like those of Christian, Muslim, and Hindu mystics, among others—or did they have relational, not unitive, experiences due to the presuppositions of Jewish theology?...Though not original in conception, this is a masterful survey of arcane but important Kabbalistic texts. It is a valuable addition to the literature due to its learned exposition of a wide array of classical mystical texts." -S.T. Katz, Boston University, CHOICE, February 2017, Vol. 54, No. 6
“Overall, this book will play a crucial role in future scholarly thought about mystical union in Judaism and it is highly recommended for all those interested in Jewish and cross-cultural mysticism, as well as medieval Jewish thought more generally.” -Joel Hecker, H-Judaic, H-Net Reviews, September, 2017
“Overall, this book will play a crucial role in future scholarly thought about mystical union in Judaism and it is highly recommended for all those interested in Jewish and cross-cultural mysticism, as well as medieval Jewish thought more generally.” -Joel Hecker, H-Judaic, H-Net Reviews, September, 2017
Adam Afterman, Ph.D. (2008), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is Associate Professor in Jewish Mysticism and Philosophy and Acting Chair of the Department of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud at Tel Aviv University. He has authored studies on Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism and medieval Jewish philosophy.