Jewish Mysticism: An Introduction

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Summary: The introduction to Jewish mysticism you are looking for.
Review: An immense and conflicted literature has been published on Jewish mysticism, and the prospect of reading it can be quite daunting. This new volume by J. H. Laenen provides an excellent introduction to the subject and a guide to further study. It was first published in Dutch in 1998.

Laenen's study is comprehensive. It covers two millennia of Jewish literature form early chariot-throne mysticism to the Hasidic masters. It is clearly written with frequent summaries and references to earlier traditions. Interpretation of the material has led to many disputes among present-day scholars of Judaism. Laenen conscientiously summarizes the different viewpoints, especially on the significance of Sabbatianism and the origin and development of Hasidism. There is also an extensive bibliography.

In an effort to give a clear, comprehensible outline, Laenen makes rather broad generalizations throughout the book (e.g., early Kabbalists were not interested in mystic ascent on p. 139). Students of the New Testament will be disappointed to find that Laenen did not pay more attention scholars who argue for its possible connections with Jewish mysticism. He ignores Alan Segal's recent work on Paul and emphatically states that there was no real mystical activity in Second Temple Judaism (prior to the third century CE; pp. 21-22, 38). Laenen also ignores recent studies on divine Wisdom (Hokhmah, Sophia) in the Old and New Testaments and states that the idea of a female aspect in God was entirely new as late as the twelfth century (p. 88). It should be noted that Laenen's main interest is in the early modern period, not in biblical literature.
Laenen's survey does not give any actual samples of Jewish mystical literature, and does not even mention important texts like Israel Ba'al Shem Tov's autobiographical letter to his brother-in-law, R. Gershon of Kuty.

All things considered, this book is by far the best recent introduction to the subject of Jewish mysticism. Hopefully its readers will go on to read more specialized works like those of Joseph Dan and Moshe Idel. And it would be good to supplement it with several anthologies like Louis Jacob's Jewish Mystical Testimonies or those in the Classics of Western Spirituality series.