The Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Scientific Revolution…this was when we finally kicked religion out of public life, right?

In fact, it was precisely in these moments that Western thinkers were most expansive and ambitious in their curiosity about religion—its texts, ideas, and practical implications. This was famously true in the case of the Bible, the greater focus on which prompted the revival of Hebrew study throughout Europe. But it was also true of the study of Jewish mysticism, which drew the fascination of some of the most famous thinkers of the Renaissance and beyond. This had implications not only for the course of European thought, but—according to an excellent new book, “Kabbalah and the Founding of America”, by Rice University historian Brian Ogren—for the founding and development of America itself.

On this episode, Ari unpacked all of this with Brian. They talked about misperceptions about science and religion during the Renaissance; why Renaissance thinkers were interested in mystical thought; John Adams and Jewish literature; the importance of Ezra Stiles, president of Yale during the American Revolution; the influence of an Orthodox rabbi from the Holy Land on the American experiment; the most important commencement address ever delivered in the history of American higher education; Madonna; and much more!

Good Faith Effort is a production of Bnai Zion and SoulShop.