Kabbalah Through the Utilitarian Prism: Contemporary Neo-Kabbalah in Israel as a Form of Consumer Culture (original) (raw)

Contemporary Alternative Spiritualities in Israel, 2016

Abstract

The chapter explores the rise of what might be called “the utilitarian self” in the contemporary spirituality arena in Israel through analyzing the teachings of two major Neo-Kabbalah movements in Israel. The utilitarian self, which has its origins in the religious field of late-nineteenth-century America, is in Judaic social circles quite a recent development, and has begun to play a significant part in Israeli contemporary spirituality only since the 1990s. By examining the proliferation and writings of emblematic Neo-Kabbalah movements found at this time in the Israeli contemporary spirituality scene, the structure and formation of the utilitarian self are displayed. The economic and social developments which lie at its background and present the cultural conditions for the utilitarian self’s bourgeoning are also brought to light.

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