The god of mystics, ch 7, a history of god

Pesonal god in all religion

It became a dangerous liability

Personal god to impersonal god transition - god of mystics

Historical monotheism not mystical - God's will on earth

Throne mysticism - rabbi Akiva, Rabbi. Ishmael and Rabbi Yohannan - mystical ascent to god's throne - visions 7 heaven

Shiur Qomah - describes figure of god seen by Ezekiel

Sefer Yezirah - book of creation - symbolic account

Prophet Mohammed night journey and journey through 7 heavens

St:Augustine's ascent to God with his mother

Mystical experience of god in all religion has certain common characteristics - deliberate creation not unawares

Pope Gregory(604) disagreed to vision of god

Western Christian concept

Eastern Christian concept

Icons ans iconoclasts

Sufism

Al bistami

Al Junayd

Al hallaj

Al ghazalli

suhrawardi

Al Arabi

Rumi - masnawi

Ashkenazi - Jew mystics

Kabbalah - Jew mystics in Muslim world

-en sof and 10 sefiroth

Abulaifa - kabbalist

(not exhaustive notes)