Decon. Seraphim Rohlin, Orthodox deacon and theological commentator, guides a tour through Kabbalah's imprint on early American religious thought. Short takes cover Jefferson and Puritan mysticism. They trace Adam Kadmon, Quaker debates, Sabbatean currents, and visions of America as a new Israel or apocalyptic terminus.
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Founders Searched Kabbalah For Pure Religion
Thomas Jefferson and other founders searched Jewish mystical texts like the Zohar for a Prisca Theologia or "pure religion" to ground America's moral project.
Jefferson listed Mishnah, Gemara, Sefir Yetzirah and Zohar as texts he read to extract ethical diamonds from perceived accretions.
insights INSIGHT
Puritan Leaders Owned And Used Kabbalah
Increase Mather owned a 17th-century English Kabbalistic manuscript and engaged Kabbalistic ideas like Adam Kadmon in polemics with Quakers.
Mather used Adam Kadmon to argue the cosmic "soul of Christ" and to defend historical Christ against Quaker antinomianism.
insights INSIGHT
Quaker Debates Adopted Kabbalistic Categories
George Keith, a Quaker-turned-theologian, used Kabbalistic categories to reconcile the Quaker inner light with the historical Christ.
He identified Christ with Adam Kadmon to argue both inner illumination and historical salvation are necessary.
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This is the final episode of our Universal History series on the American Religion. Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I look at the religious ideas behind the American project, especially the influence of Kabbalah and the search for a “pure” and universal mystical tradition. We trace how early Protestants, thinkers like Thomas Jefferson, and figures like Ezra Stiles engaged with Jewish mysticism as part of their attempt to understand and shape America’s role in the universal history.
- Watch the YouTube version of this episode: https://youtu.be/A563i-jrZs0 - Watch the rest of this series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVX4HUUPrIY_U0msyBRVpwCI_srzn3tjL - Universal History playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVX4HUUPrIY_M2uZP3yW6EEiod3fGD6FD
Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming Up 01:10 - Intro Music 01:35 - Introduction & Framing the Topic 02:28 - Jefferson, Adams & “Pure Religion” 05:23 - Kabbalah and the Founding Fathers 07:48 - Puritans, Quakers & Early American Mysticism 11:11 - Adam Kadmon & Christian Kabbalah 16:18 - George Keith & Quaker Debates 20:18 - Sabatianism & Messianic Movements 26:03 - Apocalyptic Expectations in Early America 29:44 - Judah Monis & Kabbalah in Harvard 33:48 - Kabbalah Used to Defend the Trinity 35:59 - Ezra Stiles & America as the New Israel 39:06 - America as the “New World” in Prophecy 42:49 - Loss of Christian Mysticism & Turning to Kabbalah 48:33 - America as the Promised Land Idea 51:50 - Is America the “End of the World”? 54:54 - The Contradictions of American Culture 58:10 - Final Reflections on America’s Spiritual Identity
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Join us at the Symbolic World Summit | May 14-16 | Ohio | Keynote speakers: Jonathan Pageau, Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin, Kale Zelden, Annie Crawford, and Heather Pollington. Buy your tickets: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/
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