MORE ESOTERIC UNIVERSITY COURSES are also being called for at the 14th World Congress of Jewish Studies:

Jewish studies to woo with mysticism and practical magic
By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondent

Increasing the number of courses offered in Jewish mysticism, practical magic and the significance of Jewish existence are among the proposals to make Jewish studies more attractive to Israelis that will be debated at the 14th World Congress of Jewish Studies, which opens Sunday in Jerusalem.

Some 1,200 speakers, one-third from abroad, will take part in the congress, organized every four years by the World Union of Jewish Studies, in fields ranging from Talmud to Jewish art and poetry, and contemporary Judaism.

Of interest to the congress is how to teach about Jewish mysticism and practical magic, which includes exorcism and spells, in an academic framework. Professor Itamar Greenwald of the Philosophy Department of Tel Aviv University says, "The intention is not that the students will deal with exorcism, but it is certainly important for students to understand what is behind processes like this. We know that in a trance things can happen that don't happen in normal waking states and these things cannot be discounted as lies or hallucinations."

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No one will be surprised to hear that I think this is a good idea. These days people like esoteric stuff (as the response to the More OT Pseudepigrapha project last week demonstrated), and offering courses on such things can sometimes lead students to a broader appreciation of the field and a better-informed interest in more mainstream elements of it. I bet that the introduction of courses on Jewish mysticism and magic will lead to better enrollments in Talmud courses.

By the way, it's Professor Gruenwald, not Greenwald. He is a major figure in Hekhalot literature/Merkavah Mysticism studies.