Elliot R. Wolfson
Encyclopedia
Elliot R. Wolfson is the Abraham Lieberman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University
.
His main area of scholarly research is the history of Jewish mysticism but he has brought to bear on that field training in philosophy, literary criticism, feminist theory
, postmodern hermeneutics, Eastern mystical traditions, and the phenomenology of religion
. His publications have won prestigious awards awards such as the American Academy of Religion
's Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in the Category of Historical Studies in 1995 and the National Jewish Book Award for Excellence in Scholarship in 1995 and 2006. He has also published two volumes of poetry and has had a gallery show of his paintings.
Additionally, Wolfson has been the recipient of several academic honors and awards: he served as the Regenstein Visiting Professor in Jewish Studies in the Divinity School, University of Chicago
(1992); Visiting Professor in the Russian State University in the Humanities (1995); a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study
, Princeton, New Jersey
(1996); the Shoshana Shier Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of Toronto
(1998); a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies, Hebrew University (2000, 2008–2009); the Crown-Minnow Visiting Professor of Theology and Jewish Studies, University of Notre Dame
(2002); Brownstone Visiting Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College
(2003); Visiting Professor in the Humanities Center, Johns Hopkins University
(2005); Professor of Jewish Mysticism in Shandong University
, Jinan, China (2005); and the Lynette S. Autrey Visiting Professor, Humanities Research Center, Rice University
(2007). He has also taught at Cornell University
, Queens College, Princeton University
, Jewish Theological Seminary of America
, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
, Hebrew Union College
, Bard College
, and Columbia University
. Wolfson is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
and a fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research.
Wolfson earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in philosophy at Queens College of the City University of New York
, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University
, where he trained under the supervision of Alexander Altmann
.
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
His main area of scholarly research is the history of Jewish mysticism but he has brought to bear on that field training in philosophy, literary criticism, feminist theory
Feminist theory
Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, or philosophical discourse, it aims to understand the nature of gender inequality...
, postmodern hermeneutics, Eastern mystical traditions, and the phenomenology of religion
Phenomenology of religion
The phenomenology of religion concerns the experiential aspect of religion, describing religious phenomena in terms consistent with the orientation of the worshippers. It views religion as being made up of different components, and studies these components across religious traditions so that an...
. His publications have won prestigious awards awards such as the American Academy of Religion
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,...
's Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in the Category of Historical Studies in 1995 and the National Jewish Book Award for Excellence in Scholarship in 1995 and 2006. He has also published two volumes of poetry and has had a gallery show of his paintings.
Additionally, Wolfson has been the recipient of several academic honors and awards: he served as the Regenstein Visiting Professor in Jewish Studies in the Divinity School, University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
(1992); Visiting Professor in the Russian State University in the Humanities (1995); a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
, Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
(1996); the Shoshana Shier Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(1998); a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies, Hebrew University (2000, 2008–2009); the Crown-Minnow Visiting Professor of Theology and Jewish Studies, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
(2002); Brownstone Visiting Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
(2003); Visiting Professor in the Humanities Center, Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
(2005); Professor of Jewish Mysticism in Shandong University
Shandong University
Shandong University is a public comprehensive university in Shandong, China. It is one of the largest universities in China by student population and is supported directly by the national government....
, Jinan, China (2005); and the Lynette S. Autrey Visiting Professor, Humanities Research Center, Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
(2007). He has also taught at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Queens College, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College , is located in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles north of central Philadelphia. RRC is the only seminary affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and...
, Hebrew Union College
Hebrew Union College
The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism.HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.The Jerusalem...
, Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
, and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Wolfson is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
and a fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research.
Wolfson earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in philosophy at Queens College of the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
, where he trained under the supervision of Alexander Altmann
Alexander Altmann
Alexander Altmann was an Orthodox Jewish scholar and rabbi born in Kassa, Austria-Hungary, today Košice, Slovakia. He emigrated to England in 1938 and later settled in the United States, working productively for a decade and a half as a professor within the Philosophy Department at Brandeis...
.