While the influence of the Hebrew Bible, Christian Hebraism, and even talmudic and post-talmudic thought on the American founding has been much remarked upon, much less notice has been paid to early American thinkers’ fascination with kabbalah. Arcane mysticism might even seem anathema to intellectuals formed by Enlightenment rationalism or radical Protestantism. Yet, Brian Ogren argues, prominent Christian Hebraists like Ezra Stiles—a Congregationalist minister and the seventh president of Yale University—were very much taken with kabbalah. Ogren discusses his recent book on the subject, and the longer history of Christian interest in Jewish mysticism, in conversation with Ari Lamm. (Audio, 51 minutes.)
Read more on Good Faith Effort: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-ogren-kabbalah-and-the-american-founding/id1536163226?i=1000588973529