The sights of Jewish mysticism: a guide to the Zohar. Book review: Green, A. Putevoditel’ po knige Zohar [A Guide to the Zohar], transl. by E. Levin. Moscow: Biblioteka M. Grinberga Publ.; Knizhniki Publ., 2025. 304 pp. (In Russian)
V. Sleptsova
Philosophy Journal September 30, 2025 DOI: 10.21146/2072-0726-2025-18-3-186-194 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key findings | Green's guide provides a holistic but schematized introduction to the Zohar, especially simplifying the relationship between Jewish mysticism and philosophy. |
Abstract
The review is devoted to the Russian-language translation of the Abraham Isaac (Arthur) Green’s “Guide to the Book of Zohar” (2004) that was published in 2025. Arthur Green is one of the famous thinkers and researchers of Jewish mysticism, and his “Guide” is a small but capacious introduction to Jewish mysticism. It was published in 2004 as an addition to the publication of the English translation of the Book of Zohar that began in 2003. The translation of Green’s “Guide” into Russian is undoubtedly a significant event for Russian-language Jewish Studies and for Russian religious studies. At the same time the author of the review notes that the creation of a holistic picture of the mysticism of the Zohar that includes the history of formation, the context of creation the text, as well as a brief description of the main themes of this monument of Jewish mysticism required Green to significantly schematize his transmitting the material, especially when he is describing the relationship between Jewish mysticism and philosophy.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Are “mystical experiences” essential for antidepressant actions of ketamine and the classic psychedelics? | 2024 | Review | |
| The Beyond Within: The LSD Story | 1965 | Book review | |
| Psilocybin occasioned mystical‐type experiences | 2020 | Narrative review | |
| Ecstasy research in the 20th century – an introduction | 2019 | Review | |
| Predictors and potentiators of psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences | 2022 | Review |