The Chasidic revolution, originating in Eastern Europe, altered the course of religious history by introducing radically innovative models of spiritual life that remained grounded in classical Jewish tradition. This course will explore central tensions between the Chasidic emphasis on joy and the experience of despair. How does one find hope in desperate times? How do fundamental principles impact a community's ability to generate constructive belief in the face of anguish? How did some of the great Jewish religious figures of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries negotiate choices surrounding faith and melancholy, deal with the temptation to despair, and foster hope. Preference given to seniors and graduate students.

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