Volume 3 Number 11 June 11, 2008

MarketFaith Ministries is an equipping ministry which is focused on helping Christians become more effective
in living out their faith in the midst of the increasingly diverse worldview environment of modern society.
Introduction

The number of religions and cults out there are enormous to begin with, but the number we are becoming aware of is ex-
ploding. I suppose it is inevitable with the rise of the information age. Massive numbers of people, now, have the ability to
put their beliefs in the public square, and even more have the technology to access that information. It can be very over-
whelming.

This is why it is so critical for us, as Christians, to understand worldview. Without a simple framework to help us under-
stand the massive number of belief systems being thrown at us, it would be almost impossible to comprehend them all.
But with the framework that an understanding of worldview gives us, it is a piece of cake. Kabbalah, the belief system we
are looking at today is just such a case. Very small in relative terms, but big on publicity. Madonna’s advocacy makes it
very visible, but how can we grasp its tenets? Not so difficult if we know worldview principles.

I hope today’s explanation will help your understanding, but especially your ability to share your own faith in our increas-
ingly complex world. Let me know what you think. Are these articles helping you? I would love to receive any comments,

(Continued on page 2)

The Gospel According to Madonna: Kabbalah

It seems that many Hollywood celebrities are spiritually
empty and on the lookout for something to fill the void in
their lives. Unfortunately they don’t tend to look to the real
source of truth for their answers, but seek out some other
avenue.
A number of years back Shirley MacLaine made a big
splash with her advocacy of New Age religion. Oprah has
followed in her footsteps in recent times in the New Age
arena. There was a time when Transcendental Meditation
was all the rage and was promoted by such celebrities as
the Beetles and film Director David Lynch. Then, of course,
there is the celebrity popularity of Scientology with such ad-
herents as Kirstie Alley, John Travolta and Tom Cruise.
Now there is another fad spirituality which is being popular-
ized by none other than Madonna. This religion is not new
in terms of the time it has been around. In fact its history
goes back hundreds, or perhaps even thousands of years.
Called Kabbalah, this faith is a form of mystical Judaism. In
recent times, however, a new variety of Kabbalah has
emerged which is becoming the next celebrity religion.
In order to get a deeper understanding of this belief system,
let’s begin with a general overview of Kabbalah, then exam-
ine the modern incarnation which is becoming the fad in
Hollywood.
What is Kabbalah?
The word "Kabbalah" comes from the Hebrew word mean-
ing "to receive,” “to accept," or simply “the tradition.” It pri-
marily refers to the revelation from God which has been
received by Jews and passed to succeeding generations
through oral tradition. As a form of Jewish mysticism, Kab-
(Continued on page 2)

Contact MarketFaith Ministries

312 Anton Dr. Toll Free: 888-883-0656
Tallahassee, FL 32312 info@marketfaith.org Phone: 850-383-9756
http://www.marketfaith.org Fax: 850-514-4571

1
(Introduction - Continued from page 1)

questions or suggestions you might have. Also, please share this with your friends and encourage them to sign up for
the newsletter. And remember, there is further depth you can gain by checking out our books. You can order these on
the website at www.marketfaith.org.

I also want to thank those who have contributed to our efforts. You are helping to make it possible for us to continue put-
ting out material which is beneficial to the Christian community. For others of you who would like to help our efforts, you
can partner with us by your financial contributions with a tax deductible gift. You may send your contribution to: Mar-
ketFaith Ministries, 321 Anton Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32312. Of course, you may also donate online by using the
“Donate” button on our secure website to make a contribution by credit card.

God bless,
Freddy

(Madonna - Continued from page 1)

balah consists of a large body of writings on the nature of God, the creation, the origin and fate of the soul, and the role
of human beings. There are also various meditative, devotional, and mystical practices associated with its exercise.

No-one knows exactly how old this belief system is. The earliest documents which are generally seen to be Kabbalistic
come from around the 1st century A.D. There are, though, indications that at least some of its practices derived from ear-
lier times, and it claims to have its origins as far back as Adam. As a recognized branch of Jewish mysticism, though, it is
believed to have origins around the 13th century A.D. among Jews in Babylonia, Italy and Spain. The Founder of Kabbal-
ah is generally considered to be Isaac the Blind who lived from 1160-1236. It is not known for sure whether or not he was
the original founder, but is considered the “Father of Kabbalah.”

Its beliefs are taught in a 23-volume book called the Zohar, which gives interpretations of the hidden meanings within the
Torah. Kabbalists believe that every word, letter, number, and even accent mark contains mysteries which can be inter-
preted by those who know the secret. The names for God are believed to contain miraculous power and each letter of
the divine name is considered to have power for those who know its secrets.

Tradition has it that God created the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) before he created the world. This
Torah is, itself, believed to be divine and it advised God on things such as the creation of mankind. According to tradition,
when Moses received the written law from God, he also received a separate oral law, Kabbalah, which was passed from
generation to generation.

Just as the Torah was accompanied by an oral tradition, there also developed a secret oral tradition around the Kabbal-
ah which was only passed to a limited number of initiates. This oral tradition is believed to contain hidden meanings and
divine power which can be accessed by those who are initiated into the belief. So, the central belief of the Kabbalah tra-
dition is that the Torah is divine and that by studying its text a person can unlock the secrets of the creation. Followers of
Kabbalah believe that its teachings take away grief, pain, misery, worries, and the like.

Kabbalah holds many beliefs which closely resemble Greek Gnosticism. As in Gnosticism, Kabbalah believes that only a
select few are able to receive the deeper teachings of the faith. Additionally, they both teach that God created various
levels of gods who did creative work below them. The lower the level, the further away from God they are.
(Continued on page 3)

Find these books along with other

great worldview resources at
www.marketfaith.org

2
(Continued from page 2)

The Kabbalah Center

While it is important to know the general information above, the particular form of Kabbalah which is becoming popular
among celebrities is an offshoot which is considered by many to be nothing more than a cult. This form is expressed
through The Kabbalah Centre.

What is the Kabbalah Centre?

The Kabbalah Centre claims to be a spiritual and educational organization dedicated to bringing the wisdom of Kabbalah
to the world. Its leaders maintain that it has existed for around 80 years in its current form, but does see its roots in histori-
cal Kabbalah. The Centre is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation which is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

The organization serves its constituency by providing Kabbalah courses online and through its local affiliates. Their claim
to uniqueness is that they provide access to the teachings of Kabbalah in a simplified, user-friendly system. The teaching
is marketed as a universal system for self-improvement which is available to anyone, regardless of religion, race, age, or
gender – for a price. This simplified system of Kabbalah was created by the leader of The Kabbalah Centre, Philip Berg,
and his wife, Karen. They currently claim approximately 3.5 million followers.

Philip Berg was born in New York as Feivel Gruberger. Prior to founding his religious organization, he was an insurance
agent. He got into Kabbalah when he married the niece of a leader of one of the Kabbalah schools in Israel, Tzvi Brand-
wein. However, he later left Brandwein's niece, and their eight children to marry his current wife, Karen. Berg claims the
title of Dr., but there seems to be no record that he actually earned an academic degree.

Berg maintains that the modern incarnation of the Centre

was founded in Jerusalem by Rav Yehuda Ashlag in 1922.
Upon his death, leadership was taken on by Rav Yehuda
Tzvi Brandwein. It was during this time that Berg began
studying Kabbalah. Following Brandwein’s death, Berg
claims that he was designated to take over as the leader.
This claim is disputed by Brandwein’s son and others who
continue to run the school in Israel. Additionally, both Jew-
ish academics and religious leaders of both orthodox and
contemporary schools of Jewish mysticism condemn him
as a charlatan and consider his group a cult.
Subscription Information
If you would like to receive Worldview Made Practical as a
free email subscription, simply go to www.marketfaith.org
and click on the sign up link.
Past Issues of Worldview Made Practical are available
free of charge in .pdf (Acrobat) format in the archives at
http://www.marketfaith.org.

After Brandwein's death, Philip Berg and his wife Karen

“reconstituted” the Kabbalah Centre in New York in 1965.
Then, in 1984, they moved the headquarters to Los Ange-
les and opened a center there. Karen and their sons Yehu-
da and Michael serve as “Directors” and “Spiritual Leaders”
of the organization. It currently has over fifty branches
worldwide, including major ones in Los Angeles, New York
City, London and Toronto. Berg has managed to parley his
efforts into a very lucrative enterprise for his family and
close associates.
PERMISSION TO REPRINT: If you wish to reprint this
month’s article in your own print or electronic newsletter,
please include the following paragraph:
Reprinted from Worldview Made Practical; a free e-zine
produced by MarketFaith Ministries featuring practical
teaching and life tools to help Christians become more ef-
fective in their faith life. Discover MarketFaith Ministries at
www.marketfaith.org.

In current times, the most prominent celebrity follower is

Madonna. However there are other celebrities who also
follow this teaching. These include such people as Anthony
Kiedis, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Donna Karan, David Support MarketFaith Ministries
Beckham, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Zac Efron and Lau-
ren Conrad. The purpose of MarketFaith Ministries is to equip the Body
of Christ to become more effective by sharing the practical
What Are the Basic Teachings of the Kabbalah Centre? applications of worldview. We are involved in developing
Berg claims that Kabbalah answers the ultimate questions training and resource materials for that very purpose. If
of human existence such as who we are, where we come you would like to partner with us in this effort, you may
from and why we are here. He claims that its teachings are send your tax deductible contribution to MarketFaith Minis-
able to purify the soul, as well as to banish disease, de- tries, 321 Anton Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32312.
pression and discontent by means of the teachings con-
tained in the Zohar.
(Continued on page 4)

3
(Continued from page 3)

Kabbalah teaches that in order for human beings to receive the gifts God offers humanity, we must somehow earn them.
We do this by accomplishing our spiritual work which is to transform ourselves – that is, to recognize the sources of nega-
tivity in our hearts and minds and use the tools of Kabbalah to create change.

According to Kabbalah, every human being is a work in progress. Any pain, disappointment, or chaos that exists in our
lives is not because this is how life is meant to be. Rather, it is because we have not yet transformed ourselves by becom-
ing free from the domination by our human ego in order to share in the essence of God. To attain this freedom, we must
learn to let go of anger, jealousy, and other negative behaviors and to take on patience, empathy, and compassion.

There are several teachings which particularly characterize Kabbalah.

1. Universal Wisdom - All of the major belief systems in the world are understood to be various expressions of universal
wisdom. Since this is true, The Kabbalah Centre does not claim to be an alternative to any religion in particular, but is able
to supplement any other one.

2. Relativism - Kabballah believes that there is no universal moral right and wrong and that the concept of morality is nec-
essarily subjective. Additionally, everything is the result of cause and effect and all human motivations are ultimately self-
ish.

3. The Priority of the Zohar - Kabbalah believes that the Bible (Old Testament) cannot to be taken literally. It is essentially
a code and can only be understood by unlocking the code based on the teachings of the Zohar.

4. The Nature of God - God, himself, is believed to be beyond comprehension. As a result, people should basically be
concerned with their relationship with the essence of God, rather than with God himself. This essence is referred to, in
Kabbalah, as Light. In the beginning, this Light was all that existed. But since it was the Light’s nature to share itself, it
needed a recipient – which didn’t exist. Therefore the Light created a recipient which inherited its desire to share itself. In
order for the recipient to express this characteristic, it broke into two parts so that it could share with itself. It is from these
two parts that the souls of all males and females are derived.

5. The 99% - The "99%" refers to the way true reality is divided. It is believed that the five senses of human experience
only provide access 1% of reality. The other 99% cannot be accessed by the senses. However, one can use Kabbalistic
wisdom to access that 99%. This, then, provides a context within which we can understand the 1% which we perceive by
our senses. All confusion, and the appearance of chaos that seems to exist in the world, is merely an illusion created by
the absence of that context.

6. “Restriction” of One’s Emotions - Kabbalah teaches that when an event occurs in one’s life, it triggers an emotional re-
sponse which is acted upon. For a person to be able to control these events, he must consider his emotional reactions to
be the enemy. If he is somehow able to gain mastery over his primary emotional reactions, the best response to that situ-
ation will come to him naturally. Only by restricting one's emotional responses to negative events, does it become possi-
ble to remove the obstruction of the ego.

7. Klippot - Klippot is the belief that there are shells of negativity which surround us. Potentially, everyone has a direct
connection to the upper spiritual world of the Light, but that this channel is blocked by these shells of negativity which re-
strict the Light from entering the physical body. Through meditation and by practicing Kabbalah, a person can remove the
Klippot.

8. Astrology - The Kabbalah Centre has a strong belief in astrology and teaches that it has been part of Judaism since its
beginning. It asserts that astrology was lost in Jewish tradition nearly 2000 years ago when the Jewish rabbis suppressed
it. The result is that Kabbalah believes that there are cosmic forces which affect everything. If a person can understand
these forces, it becomes possible to use them to make one’s life better. Philip Berg, himself, is an astrologer and has writ-
ten numerous books on the topic.

9. Sexuality - Kabbalah believes that male sperm contain a soul. As such, masturbation is discouraged because it causes
the souls to become abandoned and turn into demons. They believe that when a woman's insides come into contact with
a man's sperm, they contact the very essence of their energy which affects them for several years. They also believe that
a man should not achieve orgasm before the woman because it injects selfishness into the act of making love. When par-
ticipating in sex, it is taught that the woman must not be positioned above the man because it draws energy into her from
below, instead of from above. The sex act is seen as a means of gaining Light.

(Continued on page 5)

4
(Continued from page 4)

The Worldview of Kabbalah

Kabbalah represents a pantheistic approach to understanding God, though it is different from the pantheism of Far East-
ern Thought. Here are the specific ways that Kabbalah deals with the worldview questions.

What Worldview Does Kabbalah Represent? (How Kabbalah Answers the 7 Worldview Questions)
1. What is the Nature of Ultimate Reality?
Kabbalah represents a form of monistic pantheism and teaches that God is neither matter nor spirit. Rather he is the cre-
ator of both. According to this philosophy, God’s existence is higher than the human mind can comprehend or express.
However, he has revealed elements of himself through various emanations of his being.

Kabbalah recognizes two aspects of God. First, God himself is understood to be unknowable. Secondly, the aspect of
himself that he has revealed to mankind is that part which created and preserves the universe, and which interacts with
mankind.

Kabbalists speak of the first aspect of God as "the infinite," "the endless," or "that which has no limits." This aspect of God
is impersonal and nothing can be said about it. The second aspect God is his divine emanations. These emanations are
at least partially accessible to human thought. This is the special knowledge that Kabbalah claims to be able to reveal.

2. What is the Nature of Material Reality?

The material universe was created by God and is a manifestation of himself that can be comprehended by humanity.

3. What Is a Human Being?

Kaballah asserts that the human soul has three elements. The nefesh is found in all humans, and enters the physical
body at birth. It is the source of our physical and psychological nature. The ru'ach is associated with the intellect and con-
science, while the neshamah is the divine spark. These last two are not implanted at birth but are accessible to anyone
who awakens and develops them by the practice of Kabbalah. There are also some other parts of the human soul, but
these are only within the grasp of a few chosen individuals."

4. What Happens to a Person at Death?

In Kabbalah, the three elements of the soul separate after death and all have their own fate. The nefesh stays in the
grave, the ru’ach goes to the terrestrial paradise based on its merits in physical life, and the neshamah goes directly back
to the Divine world. The concept of punishment and retribution apply to the nefesh and ru'ach alone.

5. Why Is it Possible to Know Anything at All?

Knowledge is divided into two parts – that which we know through universal wisdom and the higher knowledge which we
can gain by leaning Kabbalah.

6. How Do We Know Right and Wrong?

Right and wrong are relative and are expressed through the universal wisdom that emanates from God. But the highest
level of an understanding of morality has been revealed in the Zohar.

7. What Is the Meaning of Human History?

The meaning of human history is located in the ultimate purpose of God. We discover that meaning as we learn the se-
crets of Kabbalah.

Kabbalah is a hybrid belief system. Its core is essentially a form of Theism, though it is pantheism rather than monothe-
ism. It recognizes an ultimate, impersonal God who has created emanations from himself which are ultimately responsible
for material existence. The acceptance of astrology, though, injects elements of Animism.

The Practical Implications of Kabbalah Theology

Since we are primarily concerned with the form of Kabbalah which has been popularized by Madonna, this is what we will
focus on. Essentially, this variety of Kabbalah is a form of self-improvement, or self-realization which is accessed through
the teachings of the Zohar as it is taught at The Kabbalah Centre. In order to gain this knowledge, individuals must pur-
chase the classes and materials which are sold by the Centre. So, the first implication relates to the financial investment
that people must be willing to make in order to gain this knowledge for themselves. In this sense, it is much like Scientolo-
gy where the ability to progress spiritually is limited by the amount of money or other resources one is willing to invest.

There are, though, other implications which relate to the life that one leads based on Kabbalah’s teachings. Since God is

(Continued on page 6)

5
(Continued from page 5)

not understood to be personal, salvation is not about pleasing God, but about developing one’s own spirit. As a result,
there is a strong focus on this life and very little focus on eternity.

Since it is believed that personal development comes specifically through The Kabbalah Centre, individuals must become
essentially connected with it in order to gain the knowledge necessary to grow to higher levels. There are many stories of
individuals becoming psychologically trapped in the same way as is seen in many other cults.

What Is Kabbalah’s Authority Foundation?

The ultimate authority of Kabbalah is the Zohar. Most claims for its authority assert that it is authoritative because of its
ancient origins. They particularly claim divine revelation of oral commands by angels to Adam, Abraham, Moses and oth-
ers who orally passed them on to those after them.

What Evidence Exists to Support Kabbalah’s Authority Foundation?

Since Kabbalah is entirely based on oral tradition, there is no real objective evidence that it is true. Beyond the claims of
ancient origin, they can only point to anecdotal evidence that what they teach works in the lives of its followers.

How Can We Evaluate the Viability of Kabbalah’s Authority Foundation?

There is no objective validation of Kabbalah’s authority. All of the claims are subjective based on the assertions of its fol-
lowers. Typically, adherents make these claims based on their own experience, but there is nothing to make their experi-
ence more valid than claims made by adherents of other belief systems.

Interacting with Believers of Kabbalah’s Theology

Kabbalah believers are looking strictly to this life for affirmation that their beliefs are right. They are simply trying to find a
way to make their life better. This is essentially the same thing that motivates a large percentage of spiritual seekers in
Western cultures. It is precisely the same motivation of those who become involved in Wicca, New Age, Scientology and
many other popular beliefs of our modern times. There are two things that are important as we try to share our faith with
those who are following Philip Berg’s belief.

First, we must be able to contrast the truth claims of Kabbalah with the truth of the Gospel. There actually is objective evi-
dence for our Christian beliefs which can be contrasted with the faith presumptions of Kabbalah.

Secondly, we must recognize that followers of Kabbalah are searching for something to fill the spiritual void in their hearts.
We must be able to express genuine and transparent faith as we live and share with them. They must be able to see that
Jesus Christ is actually making a difference for us in this life, and is not simply a desire for “pie in the sky by and by. To do
this we must be willing to enter into a non-judgmental personal relationship with those we wish to share with, and stay
with the relationship long enough to gain their trust to the point that they allow us to share our faith with them.

Summary
In many ways, Kabbalah adherents are deeply spiritual and are looking for the same things that many other Westerners
are looking for. They sense the need for spiritual connections and are trying to find something genuine to fill that void. Too
often Christianity is dismissed because of experiences people have had with Christians who were insincere and hypocriti-
cal. By having a solid knowledge base about our own faith and that of others, and by living out a genuine and sincere
Christian faith, it becomes possible for us to effectively share with anyone, including Kabbalists, how they can know a per-
sonal relationship with Jesus Christ.

[If you have questions or comments about this article, feel free to contact us at info@marketfaith.org).

In the Next Issue: Do You Think Like a Republican, a Democrat or Jesus?