Gershom Scholem guides the reader though the central themes in the intricate history of the Kabbalah, clarifying the relations between mysticism and established religious authority, the mystics interpretation of the Torah and their attempts to discover the hidden meaning underlying Scripture, the tension between the philosophical and the mystical concepts of God, and the symbolism employed in mystical religion. "Along with Scholem's Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, this is the standard work in its field." -- Choice "Comprises some of Scholem's most broadly conceived intellectual efforts, dealing with such universal issues as creativity and tradition, Scripture and its interpretation, religion and myth, and the nature of religious authority." -- Arthur Green, Brandeis University "Makes the intricate and fascinating world of kabbalistic symbol and myth accessible to a wider audience, rendering it in terms that are of interest to contemporary readers." -- Elliot R. Wolfson,New York University