Description: A revealing study of this important medieval Jewish poet and his relation to Islamic thought.
Brief description: Diana Lobel is Anna Smith Fine Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies at Rice University.
Review Quotes:
"...Lobel's book is an excellent and fascinating piece of scholarship, an indispensable tool for gaining a clearer comprehension of the Kuzari in the light of its Islamic background, as well as a fine explanation of the basic ideas of a thinker whose work continues to exercise influence on Jewish thought." -- Journal of the American Oriental Society
"Guided by the late Harry A. Wolfson's observation that 'concepts ride on the back of terms, ' Diana Lobel offers a deeply learned, yet broad-ranging account of how Ha-Levi adapted the religious terminology of Jewish and Islamic sources to provide a compelling exposition and defense of rabbinic Judaism. Moving with equal facility between legal, philosophical, poetic, and mystical texts, she provides balanced and judicious analyses of the key terms and concepts of religious experience and elucidates Ha-Levi's rhetorical strategies in employing them. In addition, she shows repeatedly and convincingly how Ha-Levi co-opted Sufi terminology to fit a Jewish religious context. Rich in insight and erudition, this study represents a superb contribution to our understanding of Ha-Levi's religious enterprise." -- Barry S. Kogan, author of Averroes and the Metaphysics of Causation
"This is a very fine work of scholarship, covering central themes both in medieval Jewish and Islamic philosophy and mysticism." -- Alfred L. Ivry, author of Al-Kindi's Metaphysics: A Translation of Ya'qub ibn Ish'aq al-Kindi's Treatise "On First Philosophy"