Textual Rivalries : Jesus, Midrash, and Kabbalah

a set of tried-and-true statements about an existing reality, the Bible, as Elbom shows, is a perpetually creative sign system that produces multiple meanings and generates new realities. In theological terms, the text is as continuously creative and just as imaginative as God. In many cases, the Kabbalah embodies innovative methods of biblical interpretation common to both Jewish and Christian theology. According to Kabbalistic thought, biblical interpretation itself contributes to the gradual repair of an imperfect world and functions as a major factor in the ongoing search for more profound definitions of God, language, history, and humanity. [Publisher's Text]