Tuesday, April 9, 2019

God Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown: An Essay on the 'Contraction' of God in Different Jewish Paradigms





In God Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown: An Essay on the 'Contraction' of God in Different Jewish Paradigms by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Netanel Miles-Yepez, the authors set about to show the evolution of the concept of God, combined with the Jewish mystical notion of zimzum, or contraction.

Some points are confusing.  They appear to use the term theism and deism interchangeably in the text (they are not the same) but in the notes, stress that they are not doing so.  Also the overall argument does not have a solid thrust, although it is there, in a latent sense.

If you want to get an active sense of the importance of this essay, read Shaul Magid’s brilliant “Between Paradigm Shift Judaism and Neo-Hasidism: The New Metaphysics of Jewish Renewal” in Vol. 30, No.1, Tikkun Magazine, 2015.  Magid contextualizes Rabbi Zalman’s late work, adding extra flavor to this book.

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