Word and Image in Medieval Kabbalah

'Segol provides a clearly-written guide through the maze of medieval commentaries and modern academic scholarship surrounding the Sefer Yetsirah. With remarkable lucidity, she introduces us to the mind-set of medieval Jews who sought through Hebrew letter combinations, ritualized dance, and the creation of a golem to alter the earthly and divine realms. Readers interested in a central work of medieval mysticism and Kabbalah will welcome this new methodological approach to Sefer Yetsirah, a central though utterly enigmatic classic. Yet, scholars of Religious Studies, even those not versed in medieval literature, will be rewarded by Segol's use of the medieval texts, diagrams, and commentaries as a means to address the larger issues that have shaped academic scholarship, particularly the issues surrounding magic and religion.' - Jody Myers, California State University, Northridge