On the Art of the Kabbalah: (De Arte Cabalistica) [Paperback]

Johann Reuchlin (Author), Martin Goodman (Translator), Sarah Goodman (Translator), G. Lloyd Jones (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1993

Reuchlin’s keen interest in Jewish mysticism resulted in the original publication of this work in 1517. The first part of this dialogue reflects on messianism, the second part on the relation of the Pythagorean system to the Kabbalah, and the third on the "practical Kabbalah."

 

The German humanist Johann Reuchlin (1455-1522) defended the value of Jewish scholarship and literature when it was unwise and unpopular to do so. As G. Lloyd Jones points out, "A marked mistrust of the Jews had developed among Christian scholars during the later Middle Ages. It was claimed that the rabbis had purposely falsified the text of the Old Testament and given erroneous explanations of passages which were capable of a christological interpretation." Christian scholars most certainly did not advocate learning the Hebrew language.

 

Reuchlin was exceptional in pursuing and promoting Hebrew studies, believing that a working knowledge of that language was essential for a true appreciation of the Bible and rabbinic literature. Refusing to join Christian contemporaries who wished to destroy the Kabbalah and the Talmud, he spoke out against ignorance. Christians could have a useful dialogue with Jews if they gained a thorough knowledge of the writings of Jewish exegetes and philosophers. Toward that end he proposed university endowments that aroused the fury of opponents and led to the famous "battle of the books."

 

Reuchlin's keen interest in Jewish mysticism resulted in the publication of De arte cabalistica in 1517. The first part of this dialogue reflects on messianism, the second part on the relation of the Pythagorean system to the Kabbalah, and tdhe third on the "practical Kabbalah." According to Jones, "Reuchlin demonstrates how Christians can make profitable use of Jewish mystical writings, and therefore shares with the reader his understanding of the art of the Kabbalah." That art will reach more readers in this modern English-language translation by Martin and Sarah Goodman. It reinforces the historical importance of the man who prevented the destruction of Jewish books and anticipated the more liberal climate of the Reformation.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin
Original Language: French

About the Author

In addition to an introduction by G. Lloyd Jones, this edition of On the Art of the Kabbalah features a new introduction by Moshe Idel, a professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the author of many books, including Kabbalah: New Perspectives.

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (November 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803289464
• ISBN-13: 978-0803289468
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #525,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Valuable edition of a seminal work, November 25, 2001

By 

Christopher I. Lehrich (Quincy, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: On the Art of the Kabbalah: (De Arte Cabalistica) (Paperback)

Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522) wrote _De arte cabalistica_ (1517) as a kind of synthesis of his Kabbalistic thought. It is constructed in the form of a conversation among three thinkers, the most important being Simon, the Jewish explicator of Kabbalah. This work is in a sense a sequel to Reuchlin's _De verbo mirifico_ [On the wonder-working word], but focuses almost entirely on the Kabbalistic side of things.

As an introduction to Kabbalah in an ordinary sense, the text is not particularly useful, since Reuchlin has his own somewhat idiosyncratic spin on what is most important. As an introduction to Christian Kabbalah, however, it is a seminal work, and along with _De verbo mirifico_ and Pico's _900 Theses_ required reading. Reuchlin's opinions probably did more than anything else to encourage the spread of Jewish mystical thought into the Christian West, and this is one of the books at the heart of that movement.

The edition is useful, including both an English translation and a facsimile of the Latin text. Unfortunately the layout is poor, so that the translation often ends up several pages off from the Latin, preventing direct comparison. The translation itself is good, although it would be improved by more scholarly apparatus and notes, which are conspicuously thin. Fortunately the volume is inexpensive, which makes up for quite a bit.

A decent library of early modern occult thought should have this book. The modern practitioner will not, I suspect, find it terribly useful, nor will those interested primarily in Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah. The principal value of the book is that it makes available a text which greatly influenced later Christian occult thinkers, notably Agrippa, Dee, Bruno, Fludd, and others.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An important text of Christian Cabala..., June 14, 2002

By 

Donald J. Uitvlugt (Dorr, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: On the Art of the Kabbalah: (De Arte Cabalistica) (Paperback)

Reuchlin was one of the first Christian authors to attempt to make the Jewish Kabbalah accessible to a Latin-reading audience. The publishers of this work are to be thanked for printing such a classic.

However, this edition is not without its faults. As others have noted, there is no scholarly apparatus, which would have helped the reader make sense of what admittedly is a difficult text. The format of the text on the page is poor (although the Latin pages seem to be reproducing the pages from the first printed edition, so for that half of the book, the formatting is excuseable). I find the English translation to be idiosyncratic, and just plain erroneous in points. Fortunately, with the Latin right there, these mistakes are not that difficult to spot.

But for someone willing to put up with these problems, this edition of Reuchlin's work can be a helpful entre into the world of Christian Cabala.