"Along with Scholem’s Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, this is the standard work in its field."
— Choice
"Comprises some of Scholem’s most broadly conceived intellectual efforts, dealing with such universal issues as creativity and tradition, Scripture and its interpretation, religion and myth, and the nature of religious authority."
— Arthur Green,
Brandeis University
"Makes the intricate and fascinating world of kabbalistic symbol and myth accessible to a wider audience, rendering it in terms that are of interest to contemporary readers."
— Elliot R. Wolfson,New York University
Foreword, vii
Introduction, 1
1. Religious Authority and Mysticism, 5
2. The Meaning of the Torah in Jewish Mysticism, 32
3. Kabbalah and Myth, 87
4. Tradition and New Creation in the Ritual of the Kabbalists, 118
5. The Idea of the Golem, 158
Index, 205