''De Arte Cabalistica'' (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

for ''On the Art of Kabbalah'') is a 1517 text by the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Renaissance humanist scholar

Johann Reuchlin Johann Reuchlin (; 29 January 1455 – 30 June 1522), sometimes called Johannes, was a German Catholic humanist and a scholar of Greek and Hebrew, whose work also took him to modern-day Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and France. Most of Reuchlin's c ...

, which deals with his thoughts on

Kabbalah Kabbalah or Qabalah ( ; , ; ) is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of Mysticism, mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ...

. In it, he puts forward the view that the theosophic philosophy of Kabbalah could be of great use in the defence of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

and the reconciliation of science with the mysteries of faith. It builds on his earlier work ''De Verbo Mirifico''.

The text is structured as a three-part dialogue between characters representing different philosophical and religious traditions: Philolaus the Pythagorean, Simon the Jew, and Marranus the Muslim. Through these dialogues, Reuchlin explores the integration of Kabbalistic thought with Christian theology and other philosophical traditions.

Part one: Kabbalah and Christianity

Reuchlin discusses the origins and principles of Kabbalah, emphasizing its compatibility with Christian beliefs. He argues that Kabbalistic theosophy can serve as a powerful tool for defending Christianity and reconciling scientific knowledge with spiritual mysteries.

Part two: philosophical underpinnings

The second part delves into the philosophical aspects of Kabbalah, integrating Pythagorean and Platonic thought. Reuchlin presents Kabbalah as a means to achieve a deeper understanding of the divine, highlighting its potential to bridge gaps between different philosophical and theological systems.

Part three: practical applications and synthesis

In the final section, Reuchlin synthesizes the previous discussions, illustrating how Kabbalistic principles can be applied to Christian theology. He underscores the importance of mystical and esoteric knowledge in enhancing spiritual practice and understanding.

Editions

English translations

* Introduction by G. Lloyd Jones, Introduction to this edition by

Moshe Idel Moshe Idel (; born January 19, 1947) is a Romanian-born Israeli historian and philosopher of Jewish mysticism. He is Emeritus Max Cooper Professor in Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and a Senior Researcher at the Shalom Hart ...

References

Works cited

* * * 1517 books 16th-century books in Latin Christian Kabbalah Christian apologetic works Kabbalah texts Renaissance humanism Renaissance literature {{Kabbalah-book-stub

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