CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Balanli Isik, Esra |
|---|---|
| Title | The Sabbateans in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th Century: Between Kabbalah and Sufism |
| Summary | This thesis analyzes the relationship of the Sabbatean community with two Sufi branches, Mevlevis and Bektashis despite coming from a Kabbalistic background. Although the followers of Sabbatai Zvi converted to Islam in the 17th century, they continued their Jewish rituals and belief systems. The study focuses on the religious hybridity of the Sabbatean community that amalgamated various beliefs, rituals, and practices of mystic branches of two different religions which are Islam and Judaism. To reveal this melting process, this thesis examines the works of the Sabbateans such as hymns, journals, biographies, and religious rituals. Despite the challenges of this study due to the silence of the community about their identities and keeping their inner-life practices secretive, the results revealed that the Sabbatean community could find a place to blend the teachings of Sufism and Kabbalah. The study concludes that the Sabbatai could converge both Sufism and Jewish tradition at some point. At the expense of the Kabbalistic belief, Sabbateanism mostly intertwined with “heretical” practices at the expense of transgression Judaic laws. These accusations have alleged displays of sexual antinomianism and violations of the rules of Halakha, suggesting a departure from traditional Kabbalistic beliefs in favor of practices considered heretical. |
| Supervisor | Wilson, Brett; Wilke, Carsten |
| Department | History MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/balanli-isik_esra.pdf |
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