Course Descriptions

Kabbalah has been defined as the study of Jewish mysticism, yet the perspective of Kabbalah is precisely that all of Judaism—in fact, all of the world—is mystical in nature. The study of consciousness brings a similar insight to science: including the awareness of the knower transforms the meaning of the facts of science in a radical way. When consciousness is considered, it seems clear that facts are the product of consciousness rather than the other way around. This turns the world upside down in a way that is very close to how a mystical lens re-orders the world. This course will consider Kabbalah within the context of Judaism, and will offer an understanding of Judaism that differs from the way the tradition is typically seen within a primarily Christian culture. It will unfold examples of the mystical view that permeates the Zohar—the central text of Kabbalah—as well as the Lurianic account of creation and the festivals of the Jewish calendar. These will be compared and contrasted with insights deriving from dialogues within contemporary consciousness studies, allowing each tradition to shed light on the other. Priority to EWP students