Hartley Lachter
Biographic Data
| ID | 2832337 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Hartley Lachter |
| GIVEN NAMES | Hartley |
| FAMILY NAME | Lachter |
| SIGNATURE | LACHTER H |
| AFFILIATIONS | 1Muhlenberg College |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 5 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 5 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Kabbalistic Revolution
The set of Jewish mystical teachings known as Kabbalah are often imagined as timeless texts, teachings that have been passed down through the millennia. Yet, as this groundbreaking new study shows, Kabbalah flourished in a specific time and place, emerging in response to the social prejudices that Jews faced. Hartley Lachter, a scholar of religion studies, transports us to medieval Spain, a place where anti-Semitic propaganda was on the rise and …
The Politics of Mysticism
Claims to esoteric knowledge are inescapably political. To assert control over a body of knowledge that derives from a source other than human reason is a gesture of power and authority vis-à-vis those who are not part of the privileged chain of transmission. Mysticism and esotericism are often found together. This is certainly the case for Jewish mystics for whom Kabbalah is literally “that which is received.” Kabbalists regard their doctrine as…
The Politics of Secrets
Mystical texts, like all texts, are informed by the context in which they are written and read. The proliferation of Kabbalah in late 13th century Castile is an instructive example of how the construction of Jewish esotericism is shaped by the intellectual and cultural environment. Kabbalists during this period were able to compose a large number of texts which succeeded in acquiring legitimacy in at least some Jewish circles, due in no small par…
Spreading Secrets
Isaac ibn Sahula's Meshal ha-kadmoni, a classic of medieval Hebrew literature, was composed in Castile during one of the most prolific periods in the development of classical Kabbalah. This article argues that while ibn Sahula chose to avoid discussion of the ten sefirot and other forms of symbolism typically associated with kabbalistic writings from this period, he nonetheless sought to promote a worldview in the Meshal ha-kadmoni that bears a d…
Kabbalah, Philosophy, and the Jewish-Christian Debate
Joseph Gikatilla's early works, composed during the 1270s, have been understood by many scholars as a fusion of Kabbalah and philosophy—an approach that he abandoned in his later compositions. This paper argues that Gikatilla's early works are in fact consistent with his later works, and that the differences between the two can be explained by the polemical engagement during his early period with Jewish philosophy and Christian missionizing. By s…
The Politics of Secrets
Mystical texts, like all texts, are informed by the context in which they are written and read. The proliferation of Kabbalah in late 13th century Castile is an instructive example of how the construction of Jewish esotericism is shaped by the intellectual and cultural environment. Kabbalists during this period were able to compose a large number of texts which succeeded in acquiring legitimacy in at least some Jewish circles, due in no small par…
Kabbalah, Philosophy, and the Jewish-Christian Debate
Joseph Gikatilla's early works, composed during the 1270s, have been understood by many scholars as a fusion of Kabbalah and philosophy—an approach that he abandoned in his later compositions. This paper argues that Gikatilla's early works are in fact consistent with his later works, and that the differences between the two can be explained by the polemical engagement during his early period with Jewish philosophy and Christian missionizing. By s…
Spreading Secrets
Isaac ibn Sahula's Meshal ha-kadmoni, a classic of medieval Hebrew literature, was composed in Castile during one of the most prolific periods in the development of classical Kabbalah. This article argues that while ibn Sahula chose to avoid discussion of the ten sefirot and other forms of symbolism typically associated with kabbalistic writings from this period, he nonetheless sought to promote a worldview in the Meshal ha-kadmoni that bears a d…
The Politics of Secrets
Mystical texts, like all texts, are informed by the context in which they are written and read. The proliferation of Kabbalah in late 13th century Castile is an instructive example of how the construction of Jewish esotericism is shaped by the intellectual and cultural environment. Kabbalists during this period were able to compose a large number of texts which succeeded in acquiring legitimacy in at least some Jewish circles, due in no small par…
The Politics of Mysticism
Claims to esoteric knowledge are inescapably political. To assert control over a body of knowledge that derives from a source other than human reason is a gesture of power and authority vis-à-vis those who are not part of the privileged chain of transmission. Mysticism and esotericism are often found together. This is certainly the case for Jewish mystics for whom Kabbalah is literally “that which is received.” Kabbalists regard their doctrine as…
Kabbalistic Revolution
The set of Jewish mystical teachings known as Kabbalah are often imagined as timeless texts, teachings that have been passed down through the millennia. Yet, as this groundbreaking new study shows, Kabbalah flourished in a specific time and place, emerging in response to the social prejudices that Jews faced. Hartley Lachter, a scholar of religion studies, transports us to medieval Spain, a place where anti-Semitic propaganda was on the rise and …
Art (4 works) · Kabbalah (4 works) · Literature (4 works) · Mysticism (4 works) · Philosophy (4 works) · Archaeology and Historical Studies (3 works) · History (3 works) · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies (3 works) · Judaism (3 works) · Medieval and Classical Philosophy (3 works)