The Wonders of Creation: Science, Nature, and the Supernatural in Ashkenazi Culture
Tuition: $360 | YIVO members: $270**
This is a live, online course held on Zoom. Enrollment will be capped at about 25 students. All course details (Zoom link, syllabus, handouts, recordings of class sessions, etc.) will be posted to Google Classroom. Students will be granted access to the class on Google Classroom after registering for the class here on the YIVO website. This class will be conducted in English, and any readings will be in English.
Instructor: Elly Moseson
How did Jews in Ashkenaz understand the natural world and its relation to the supernatural, and what practical and intellectual value did they find in studying it? This seminar explores Ashkenazi attitudes toward nature and the supernatural from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century, when the boundaries between science, magic, and religion were often drawn differently from those familiar today. We will examine how the study of nature and its hidden powers informed religious thought and practical life, as well as the place of magical beliefs and practices in Ashkenazi culture. We will consider how Jewish scholars responded to changing understandings of nature and the emergence of modern science. Close readings of primary sources will introduce the varied ways Ashkenazi Jews investigated the natural world, sought to harness its powers, and took part in the circulation of magical and scientific knowledge.
Course Materials:
The instructor will provide all other course materials digitally throughout the class on Google Classroom.
Questions? Read our 2027 Winter Program FAQ.
Elly Moseson holds a B.A. in English Literature from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Boston University. He has held research and teaching appointments at institutions including Harvard University, Columbia University, Tel Aviv University, the University of Hamburg, and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. His research interests include early modern Jewish movements and literatures, the cultural and political functions of texts, and the intersection of literature, psychoanalysis and religion.
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