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UCSB Corwin Pavilion Mystics throughout history and in varied cultural settings have often had recourse to erotic language in describing their experiences and longings. In the Jewish and Christian contexts, this often expresses itself in recourse to the Song of Songs, the Bible's great testament to human love, understood allegorically in both traditions. Professor Green will discuss Jewish aspects of this treatment, especially in the classical Kabbalah. Arthur Green is the Philip W. Lown Professor of Jewish Thought at Brandeis University. He is both a historian of Jewish religion and a theologian; his work seeks to form a bridge between these two distinct fields of endeavor. Educated at Brandeis and at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Green studied with such important teachers as Alexander Altmann, Nahum N. Glatzer, and Abraham Joshua Heschel, of blessed memory. He has taught Jewish mysticism, Hasidism, and theology to several generations of students at the University of Pennsylvania, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (where he served as both Dean and President) and now at Brandeis University. He has lectured widely throughout the Jewish community of North America as well as in Israel, where he visits frequently. He was the founder of Havurat Shalom in Somerville, Massachusetts, and remains a leading independent figure in the Jewish renewal movement. He is the author of several books. Best-known among his scholarly works are Tormented Master: A Life of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav and Keter: The Crown of God in Early Jewish Mysticism. In Seek My Face, Speak My Name: A Contemporary Jewish Theology, he turns to the mystical tradition as a key source for a religious language that will speak to the many spiritual seekers in our generation. Green is also well known for his translations and interpretations of Hasidic teachings, including The Language of Truth: Teachings from the Sefat Emet by Rabbi Judah Leib Alter of Ger. His most recent book Ehyeh: A Kabbalah for Tomorrow is published by Jewish Lights (November 2002). The Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies are cosponsored by UCSB Arts & Lectures, Department of Religious Studies, Hillel, and the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center. This event is put on in partnership with the Santa Barbara Jewish Federation. |
