Kabbalah
| Category | Jewish studies |
|---|---|
| Record type | Movement |
| Editorial status | Documentary term explained from a Catholic standpoint |
| Authority | Definition only; inclusion confers no religious authority |
Definition and ordinary meaning
Jewish mystical traditions concerning divine emanations, Scripture, creation and spiritual ascent.
Historical setting
The term may belong to biblical Israel, the Second Temple world, rabbinic consolidation or later medieval and modern Judaism. Those periods are continuous in some respects but not institutionally identical.
Meaning within the tradition
Within Jewish studies, Kabbalah must be read according to the school, source and period that uses it. The same word may name a text, rite, institution or doctrine in more than one sense. This article therefore resists treating a later standardized definition as though it were present unchanged from the beginning.
Natural-philosophical and historical assessment
An institution or school must be judged by its origin, stated authority, continuity and capacity to resolve contradiction. Longevity, social cohesion or devotional intensity can explain influence, but none of them substitutes for truth or public authentication.
Catholic judgement and necessary distinctions
The Church receives the Old Testament as inspired and confesses that Israel’s covenantal history is fulfilled in Jesus Christ and extended to the nations in His Church. Later rabbinic concepts must be distinguished from biblical and Second Temple sources and judged especially by the question of Messiah, sacrifice, Temple and New Covenant.
Primary texts and source control
Read the term first in the earliest available source and then in later school or institutional definitions. The following local routes keep documentary evidence separate from commentary.