Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatteri
2. CONTENTSv
3. PREFACEix
4. Introduction. Love in the Canonical Literature: Dealing with Cognitive Dissonance1
5. SECTION I. THE ANDROGYNE UNITY; SEPARATION; DESIRE AND UNITY
6. 1. The Androgyne Myth According to Plato13
7. Chapter One. THE ANDROGYNE MYTH ACCORDING TO PLATO13
8. Chapter Two. MALE AND FEMALE UNITY, PRIMORDIAL SIN AND REBELLION AGAINST THE GODS18
9. Chapter Three. IN THE MIDRASH: ANDROGYNOUS ADAM21
10. Chapter Four. IN THE KABBALAH: AN ETERNAL/DIVINE, SPIRITUAL AND HUMAN ANDROGYNE35
11. Chapter Five. THE REBIRTH OF THE ANDROGYNE: JUDAH ABRAVANEL CITES PLATO AND MOSES44
12. Chapter Six. SUMMARY: THE POWER OF MYTHS53
13. SECTION II. A PROFILE OF THE SAGE OF LOVE
14. Chapter One. INTRODUCTION: THE PHILOSOPHER AS SAGE OF LOVE59
15. Chapter Two. THE LOVE OF RACHEL61
16. Chapter Three. THE SAGE OF LOVE “RESCUES” THE SONG OF SONGS69
17. Chapter Four. PRACTICE AND THEORY IN THE WISDOM OF LOVE76
18. Chapter Five. THE SAGE AND TEMPTATION88
19. Chapter Six. LOVE THY FELLOW AS THE BASIS OF HUMAN SOCIALISATION94
20. Chapter Seven. OPTIMISM OUT OF LOVE103
21. Chapter Eight. ULTIMATE LOVE115
22. Chapter Nine. THE ORCHARD OF LOVE123
23. Chapter Ten. SUMMARY: THE UNIVERSAL SAGE125
24. SECTION III. THE SAGE OF UNCONSUMMATED LOVE: JUDAH ABRAVANEL’S DIALOGHI D’AMORE
25. Chapter One. INTRODUCTION: PHILO AND SOPHIA127
26. Chapter Two. THE SAGE’S DESIRE129
27. Chapter Three. LOVE AS A UNIVERSAL PHENOMENON140
28. Chapter Four. THE PARADOX OF ABSTRACT PERCEPTION144
29. Chapter Five. LOVE AND BEAUTY147
30. Chapter Six. WHEN AND WHERE WAS LOVE BORN?149
31. Chapter Seven. UNCONSUMMATED LOVE151
32. SECTION IV. WRITTEN FOR MEN BY MEN: FEMINIST REVOLUTION AND INNOVATION IN THE CANONICAL SOURCES
33. Chapter One. INTRODUCTION: IDENTIFYING REVOLUTIONARY AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN CULTURAL SOURCES154
34. Chapter Two. A MONOGAMOUS MESSAGE TO A POLYGAMOUS CULTURE155
35. Chapter Three. ONAH: THE OBLIGATION TO HAVE SEX FOR PLEASURE178
36. Chapter Four. THE LOVE RELATIONSHIP AS PERFECTION: THE END OF MALE EXCLUSIVITY185
37. Chapter Five. SUMMARY: INNOVATION AND THE NORM189
38. SECTION V. CONTRAST AND HARMONY IN MARRIED LIFE: ON SPIRITUALITY AND ABSTINENCE
39. Chapter One. INTRODUCTION: THE DUALISTIC APPROACH191
40. Chapter Two. MARRIAGE AND INTELLECTUAL GROWTH: HELP OR HINDRANCE?192
41. Chapter Three. CATEGORICAL REJECTION: ABSTINENCE IS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH!195
42. Chapter Four. THE DILEMMA OF ABSTINENCE FOR INDIVIDUALS ON A HIGH SPIRITUAL PLANE197
43. Chapter Five. MOSES’ ABSTINENCE201
44. Chapter Six. ABSTINENCE: A PRECONDITION FOR LOVE IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF RABBI BAHYA IBN PAKUDA208
45. Chapter Seven. RABBI JUDAH HALEVI’S REJECTION OF ABSTINENCE211
46. Chapter Eight. SUMMARY: MAINTAINING BALANCE213
47. BIBLIOGRAPHY217
48. INDEX221