Neo-Hasidism: The Questions are Theological

Abstract The article opens with a brief definitional and historical summary of the phenomenon called Neo-Hasidism, referring to the adoption of Hasidic modes of thought, devotion, and praxis by Jews outside the traditional Hasidic communities. This is to be distinguished from Neo-Hasidism as a literary-artistic movement of the early twentieth century. The article then turns to what the author considers to be Hasidism’s most basic religious innovation, the popularization of a panentheistic notion of a God-infused universe and its implications for Hasidic Judaism. From here, he turns to some key theological issues as presented in early Hasidic sources, extensively quoted and referenced. These include concepts of God, revelation, mitzvot, and claims of religious exclusivism. In each case, he asks how this Hasidic view might be adapted for use in a contemporary neo-Hasidic context.