tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11167350.post8783947517045682409..comments2023-10-31T05:37:45.410-07:00Comments on Hungry Hyaena: The 'Raw Stuff'...DiscussedHungry Hyaenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06354349850246750046noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11167350.post-51172008802518126172010-03-16T11:47:11.550-07:002010-03-16T11:47:11.550-07:00Max:
I'm invested in the study of Jewish myst...<b>Max:</b><br /><br />I'm invested in the study of Jewish mysticism (both its history and philosophy), and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Luria" rel="nofollow">Lurianic</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasidic_Judaism" rel="nofollow">Chasidic</a> notions of "the Divine sparks" are near and dear to me. In fact, in the same issue of <i>Tikkun</i>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Green" rel="nofollow">Rabbi Arthur Green</a>, a contemporary religious scholar and leader whose theology inspires me, contributed the feature essay for the special section "G-d and the 21st Century." (Importantly, unlike Gabel, Green doesn't suggest that science need to become more imbued with or informed by mystical or holistic spiritual-material understanding. I touch on this in <a href="http://hungryhyaena.blogspot.com/2010/03/different-takes-on-raw-stuff.html" rel="nofollow">the previous HH post</a>.)<br /><br />If framed as a strictly Jewish lineage, Rabbi Green's notions are quite Lurian. That said, I believe that the surge of interest in evolving definitions/conceptions of G-d among educated, liberal theologians is a sociological development (one also underway among the general population, irrespective of faith or lack thereof); this social evolution is impelled, I believe, by our expanding base of scientific knowledge and by globalization, a process that brings out our species' worst (xenophobia and more fervent territorial-religious disputes, for example) and our species' best (ever expanding ethical constructs, even extended to other species).<br /><br />As a side note, "tikkun olam" is drawn from the mystical sources, but is today among the most commonly cited Jewish concepts. It's commonly discussed in Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Reform congregations. From fringe to mainstream, it seems!<br /><br /><b>Jessica:</b><br /><br />Ha! Yeah, I've been in hearty debate with quite a few new atheists of late. It perplexes me that I'm too mystical for the new atheists, yet too materialist for the religious mystics. I suppose that awkward middle ground is healthy, though, and it certainly does an artist good! ;)Hungry Hyaenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06354349850246750046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11167350.post-45895620023492841782010-03-16T11:27:25.547-07:002010-03-16T11:27:25.547-07:00Reposted from Facebook comments:
I'd blog tha...<b>Reposted from Facebook comments:</b><br /><br />I'd blog that whole thing, but it would only cause a swarm of angry new atheists to descend upon your blog and Tikkun, so I'll leave it alone. Fascinating reading though!Bioephemeranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11167350.post-19515430140116329052010-03-16T11:26:43.638-07:002010-03-16T11:26:43.638-07:00Reposted from Facebook comments:
To understand wh...<b>Reposted from Facebook comments:</b><br /><br />To understand where Gabel might be coming from, I had to revisit Lurianic Kabbalah, the source I associate with the phrase "Tikkun" (google or http://www.newkabbalah.com/newkabbalah.html).<br /><br />It sounds like he is heavily invested in Luria's idea of "Holy Sparks" that inhabit all matter and life, and that must be reunited (Tikkun) to heal the world (I... See More thought I remembered that this was supposed to bring about a sort of beautiful apocalypse to the material world, but I don't see that now; I may be misremembering).<br /><br />He reminds me of the scene at the beginning of Wargames, when the high school bio teacher asks Ally Sheedy, "what is your answer to #4 - why do nitrogen nodules cling to the roots of plants?" and, having no idea, she answers, "um, ... love?"Maxnoreply@blogger.com