Okay for a Catholic to study at Kabbalah Centre?

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Bartolome_Casas

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Here is their web site: kabbalah.com/

A famous lapsed Catholic, Madonna (the pop singer and celebrity), studies at the Kabbalah Centre.

Kabbalah, as I understand it, is an esoteric interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. For much of the last 2000 years, the mainstream rabbis disapproved of the study of Kabbalah, or at least thought the study of it should be severely restricted.

In the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance period, some Catholic bishops approved of the study of Kabbalah by priests, theologians, and monks, thinking that knowing Kabbalah would help the Catholic Church evangelize the Jewish people. Some Catholic theologians in that time saw strong similarities between Kabbalah and Catholicism. For example, some saw the Holy Trinity being described in Kabbalah.

Yet, today, at the Kabbalah Centre, though they talk of gaining the “Light” of the Creator, there is no mention of Jesus Christ as “the Light of the world.” So, I wonder if Catholics should really have anything to do with it.
 
According to your purpose of studying. There would be no wrong in studying it to find out what they believe and why, especially if it were in order to understand and maybe witness to someone who believes that way. I would hesitate to do so without much prayer and thought.

If my understanding is correct, you have to meet certain requirements to even study Kabbalah. (certain age, Jewish, etc) It is a mystical form of Judaism and I’m not sure how that would help a Catholic walk in faith.

BTW Kabbalah in my humble understanding is almost identical to what we see Tradition as. It is their ‘received’ revelation about the word of God, based on their Holy Writings.
 
Unless it’s to evangelize, no. The Kabbalah Center is more of a personality cult (like a less litigious Scientology) than it is the study of Kabbalah. And, in either case, even if it was the latter, unless it’s to evangelize, I think not.
 
When we are on a spiritual path, we are seeking to reconnect with Spirit. This spirit has no name; it is not Christian, or Jewish, or Buddhist or any other limiting description. It is just Spirit, far beyond the confines of any particular faith. And it has no gender. All people should be able to connect to its wisdom too.

I read this on their site, its not Christianity or even Jewish, I wouldn’t go there myself, too much emphasis on self, self improvement, like power within stuff, and not the Holy Spirit we know.
 
Well, it’s a moot point. I know a lot of orthodox Jews who have said the Madonna-ized pop kaballah is all new-age mumbo jumbo: is that what you’d be studying? The quote, unquote “real” kaballah takes place after you’ve already done years of study. **It’s not a casual endeavor, despite what you may have heard. **
 
It’s evil. You’re a catholic. Madonna mocks catholics, so NO. It’s not ok for you to go there.
 
Why not study your Catholic faith? Find a good Scripture class or go on a retreat, or do some Catholic education even online. You can never exhaust the vastness or beauty of the Truth. You don’t need to look elsewhere.
 
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