Description: Jacob Frank (1726-1791) was once known as the most sinister of Jewish heretics, a man who led his sect to convert en masse to Christianity and led sexual orgies in secret meetings. But what was the truth behind these myths? The Heresy of Jacob Frank argues, based on close readings of Frank's late teachings, that Frank was not some sex-crazed "degenerate" but an original and prescient figure at the crossroads of tradition and modernity, reason and magic, Kabbalah and Western Esotericism.
Review Quotes: "Jacob Frank, one of the most unexpected, shocking, original, and misunderstood figures in Jewish history, stirred up the Jewish world from the margins of heresy to the center of broad messianic movement that engaged thousands of followers in the mid-eighteen century, by crossing every traditional border of the Jewish community. Now, for the first time, The Heresy of Jacob Frank provides a groundbreaking book-length analysis of Frankâs outrageous and innovative religious ideas, based on close readings of his recorded oral teachings. Dr. Michaelsonâs brilliant work is a major achievement in the scholarship of Frankism, Sabbateanism and Jewish mysticism, as well as an engaging and surprising tale of a man who transgressed every boundary he came across. Highly recommended." -- Rachel Elior, John and Golda Cohen Professor Emerita of Jewish Philosophy, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
"In the mainstream of Jewish collective memory, Jacob Frank was portrayed as an egomaniacal and depraved ignoramus, a false messiah, and a cynical serial convert-to Islam, then Christianity...Jay Michaelson makes a complementary theoretical argument in The Heresy of Jacob Frank, which received last year's National Jewish Book Award for scholarship...Michaelson, well known as a popular writer on religion and spirituality and an activist for gay rights both in Jewish life and the broader world, has been studying Jacob Frank for almost two decades...In a recent essay, he described being "seduced" by the "allure" of Frank's vigorous confrontation with traditional Jewish law and norms in The Words of the Lord, the late miscellany of Frank's oral teachings and anecdotes." -- Benjamin Weiner, Jewish Review of Books"Michaelson reconstructs Frank's teachings with critical methodology, tracing how Frank both followed and resisted the disciplines of reason, magic, Kabbalah, and esotericism." -- Yale Law Report"Using a phenomenological approach, Michaelson contextualizes and analyzes Frank's heresy in a new and original way and contributes to a richer understanding of the upheavals of Jewish early modernity." -- Konstantin Aron Moser, Religious Studies Review"This book may offer researchers new ways to explore one of the most controversial and fascinating Jewish movements of the early modern period." -- David Sclar, Religious Studies Review"This is an interesting handbook with a wealth of information that invites critical reflection on a number of issues." -- Erik Hogendoorn, Kerk En Theologie