Hasidism: The Basics

Hasidism: The Basics offers a clear and accessible introduction to one of the most influential socioreligious movements to emerge from Eastern Europe, and one of the most significant forces shaping Jewish religious, social, and cultural life from the eighteenth century to the present.

Hasidism: The Basics offers a clear and accessible introduction to one of the most influential socioreligious movements shaping Jewish religious, social, and cultural life from the eighteenth century to the present. The book outlines Hasidism as a dynamic movement that profoundly transformed spirituality, leadership, identity, and communal organisation of the world’s Jewry, and continues to be one of the most recognisable forms of contemporary Judaism. It covers topics including:Inception and development in eighteenth-century Eastern EuropeExpansion, institutional consolidation, and crisesDiverse developments in Europe, North America, and IsraelCentral religious ideas and practicesKey religious ideas such as spiritual devotion, charismatic leadership, and the sanctification of everyday lifeInteractions with other religious formationsModern revival and contemporary expressions of HasidismDrawing on the latest scholarship while remaining free of technical jargon, Hasidism: The Basics provides the first concise, academically grounded overview of the history, ideas, and culture of Hasidism for a broad readership. This important book will be relevant to students of history, philosophy, literary studies, ethnography, sociology, and religion.