jacobhermant 's review for:

Piety and Rebellion: Essays in Hasidism by Shaul Magid

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Grad school read (maybe 30% in full, skimming another 20%). Not really something I’m particularly interested in, but Magid works through these ideas in fairly accessible ways. It’s admittedly hard to align oneself to the Hasidic worldview from outside, and the early autobiographical sketch is both helpful and difficult for understanding Magid’s approach, but the essays work through the sources in a really impressive way. The final chapter, while unrelated to my work, is very good. If you’re interested in the topic I’d say give it a read.