This is my first report from SBL 2010 in Atlanta. I’ve had limited internet access, so its not much, but I will be posting what notes I’ve taken upon my return. This SBL annual meeting has been great — I’ve met and visited with many great people and learned a lot from the sessions I’ve attended. Some of the best sessions I’ve been to are those of the Early Jewish and Christian Mysticism group. My PhD supervisor, Jim Davila, gave a very impressive review of Peter Schafer’s new book, The Origins of Jewish Mysticism (Tübingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 2009). He did a great job at pointing out the lack of references to religious experience/praxis in Schafer’s work. Davila pointed out that there is clear reference in many of these mystical texts to ritual.
If you want to check out his review, he’s posted it on his blog, www.paleojudaica.blogspot.com. You can see the .pdf here: http://paleojudaica.bravehost.com/Review%20of%20Schäfer,%20Origins.pdf
For other work that Davila has done on related topics, see the following links.
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/divinity/rt/otp/dmf/hekhalot/
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/divinity/rt/otp/abstracts/ritualpseud/
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/divinity/media/THE%20HEKHALOT%20LITERATURE.pdf
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The divide between the two groups is interesting. I’d say even more interesting are those who think Scholem didn’t go far enough. (Say folks like Idel)
It’s hard to say. i’m no mystic and am skeptical of a lot of mystical experience and linking it up to praxis. So while I’m pretty sympathetic to Davila’s comments, there is an assumption about practice I’m not sure I buy.
I’m curious as to your thoughts. Of course I fully admit that I find all these debates as trying to draw out a lot of data from very little with no way of confirming or falsifying theories typically. (i.e. it all ends up being more rhetorical persuasion) But that might just be the bias of one in the sciences.
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