A comprehensive treatment of visionary experience in some of the main texts of Jewish mysticism; this book reveals the overwhelmingly visual nature of religious experience in Jewish spirituality from antiquity through the late Middle Ages. Using phenomenological and critical historical tools; Wolfson examines Jewish mystical texts from late antiquity; pre-kabbalistic sources from the tenth to the twelfth centuries; and twelfth- and thirteenth-century kabbalistic literature. His work demonstrates that the sense of sight assumes an epistemic priority in these writings; reflecting and building upon those scriptural passages that affirm the visual nature of revelatory experience. Moreover; the author reveals an androcentric eroticism in the scopic mentality of Jewish mystics; which placed the externalized and representable form; the phallus; at the center of the visual encounter. In the visionary experience; as Wolfson describes it; imagination serves a primary function; transmuting sensory data and rational concepts into symbols of those things beyond sense and reason. In this view; the experience of a vision is inseparable from the process of interpretation. Fundamentally challenging the conventional distinction between experience and exegesis; revelation and interpretation; Wolfson argues that for the mystics themselves; the study of texts occasioned a visual experience of the divine located in the imagination of the mystical interpreter. Thus he shows how Jewish mystics preserved the invisible transcendence of God without doing away with the visual dimension of belief.
#116553 in Books MacDonald; Charles Brown 1997-03-19 1997-03-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.80 x 6.13l; 1.74 #File Name: 0688151574720 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Don't buy this on Kindle.By FoghornFor some reason; there weren't any available maps. I made it halfway through with compelling stuff about which unit went where and got glory or pounding; and then went to another place that made no sense without having a map out. The book has a lot of typos. It's big on unit movements; but not so great on tying things in. Enjoyable in parts; required more to get more than two stars out of me.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Good account; difficult readBy Greg RoyalAlways interesting to read an account of one of the most important periods of WWII; especially from someone who was there. Unfortunately the book was very difficult to read and follow. The near constant referrals to troop location; numbers; and strength levels made it hard to see the overall picture. I would need detailed maps to refer to constantly in order to fully grasp all the positions referenced.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Not having been involved in anything like "The Bulge"By G.B. KetchersideThis writing is almost unbelievably detailed! It makes the reader think MacDonald was all over the scene of action -- and a big scene it was --taking notes!The only constructive comment I would make is that I would have appreciated having a battalion; regiment; CC; etc. described as to number;of troops; equipment involved and so forth. Not having been involved in anything like "The Bulge"; I can't imagine how much thought planning; rethinking;replanning the various leaders had to do to attempt to accomplish their objectives.It's a terrific read!
