Jewish mysticism symposium to be held Oct. 26

Jewish mysticism symposium to be held Oct. 26
Leading scholar will be both subject and participant

FROM RICE NEWS STAFF REPORTS

The Humanities Research Center (HRC) will host “Venturing Beyond the Beyond,” an all-day symposium Oct. 26 that focuses on the work of Elliot Wolfson, a leading scholar of Jewish mysticism and the Lynette S. Autrey Visiting Professor in the HRC. While at Rice, he is teaching a course on Jewish mysticism and researching dreams and dream interpretation in Kabalistic thought.

The symposium is organized around Wolfson’s three major currents of creative production: hermeneutics, aesthetics and poetics. A panel of distinguished scholars will lecture on the re-envisioning of embodiment, time, beauty, ritual practice, angelic presence, and issues of transgression, law and honesty within the context of Wolfson’s work. Wolfson will offer reflections and concluding thoughts.

The program will be held in the Kyle Morrow Room in Fondren Library, starting at 9 a.m. For more details, visit http://hrc.rice.edu/workshops_jsw_wolfson.html.

Wolfson came to Rice from New York University and is editor of the Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy.