Academic Conference on Jewish Spirituality
Moshe Idel, Shlomo Riskin, Tamar Ross, Rachel Elior and other non-stupid people will be presenting at this conference on rabbinics and spirituality in Jerusalem, December 19-22. It’s free and open to the public, but you have to register ahead of time. Go to the link above for the email address for registering and more information.
Part of their spiel:
The recent introduction of “Jewish Spirituality” into our collective discourse as well as the fact that it is imported from other religious systems both account for a lack of precision in how the term “Jewish Spirituality” is applied. Usually, the term “Jewish Spirituality” is used an intuitive manner, rather than following a clear, let alone strict, definition. It is used to point to domains of interiority, feeling, experience, and the ultimate purpose of religion. The uses of “Jewish Spirituality” may constitute a good example of constructive ambiguity, that suggests and points to a domain, rather than strictly defining it. The conference on Rabbinic Spirituality will rely on a similar intuitive understanding of the term, rather than attempting a strict definition. It is thus open to multiple understandings and touches upon a variety of domains relevant to rabbinic thought. A presentation of some of the ways in which the term “Jewish Spirituality” has been used in past years is helpful in suggesting the areas that come under the concerns of the “Rabbinic Spirituality” conference.