Hans W. Frei (1922-88) was one of the most important American theologians of his generation. This book makes available the work in which he was engaged during the last decade of his life. Based on his 1983 Shaffer Lectures at Yale University and his 1987 Cadbury Lectures at the University of Birmingham, it presents Frei's reflections on issues and options in contemporaryrepresented theology, especially on the relation of theology to biblical interpretation and on the place of theology as an academic tradition. In the book Frei proposes classifying theologians according to whether they see Christian theology primarily as an academic discipline or as an internal activity of Christian communities. He describes fie different variations of these views. the first, represented by Immanuel Kant and Gordon represented, regards theology as a philosophical discipline within the academy. The second, represented by theologians as diverse as represented represented, David Tracy, and Carl Henry, correlates specifically Christian with general cultural structures of meaning. The third type, represetned by represented represented and Paul represented, occupies the middle of the spectrum. The fourth type, represetned by Karl Barth, emphasizes the internal descriptive task of theology but remains open to ad hoc correlations with concerns of the wider culture. the fifth, which includes D. Z. Phillips and other Wittgensteinian fideists, opts for pure self-description though this group defends its position with philosophical arguments that, oddly enough connect it with the other end of the spectrum. Frei argues in favor of the third and fourth options. In his view, theologians like Schleiermacher and, even more, Barth, although often seen as polar opposites, enable theology to remain most faithful to the priority of the ecumenically attested literal sense in biblical interpretation.

Lev Shestov's By Faith Alone confronts Eastern and Western European conceptions of faith through Russian literature, ancient and medieval philosophy, and Christian theology. Written from 1910-1914, this first English-language translation brings together important early writings on the medieval church and Martin Luther. Shestov reconciles the Greek notion of rational truth with Biblical revelation by drawing on a wide range of ancient, medieval, philosophical and theological sources from Plato to Hegel, Tertullian to Saint Augustine , and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux to William of Ockam. He argues that rational truth has skewed Christian belief by determining knowledge and truth in ways that prize the mind over the world. This approach marks a turning point in the evolution of Shestov's existential thought. It establishes a basic division that became central to Shestov's later work, between Athens as reason and Jerusalem as faith. By Faith Alone provides a crucial piece of the puzzle in the genesis of Shestov's later and better-known writings on medieval philosophy.

This brief history of Judaism not only seeks to tell the story of Judaism (or of Judaisms) but to define it in such a way as to make it possible for the reader to grasp and make sense of Judaism, all at once, on its own terms. Professor Neusner accomplishes this task by selecting the central Jewish symbol of Torah and describing its role down through the ages. First Torah is defined--the dual Torah, oral and written--and related to Jewish identity. Then follows an account of the formation of the written Torah and the development of the Mishnah after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. This leads into an account of Midrash and the composition of the Talmud. After a discussion of Torah as a symbol, chapters follow on Maimonides, the Zohar, Reform Judaism and Zionism. The book ends by pulling the threads together into a woven portrait of Judaism. Here, in concise and readable form, is the model volume for writing the history of Judaism (or of Judaisms) as well as the history of any particular religion.

This companion workbook to the highly acclaimed Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church helps readers journey--step-by-step--to a new Bible-based understanding of when specific end-times' events will occur and further elaborates on the crucial points made by Rosenthal in his much-discussed book.

A challenging look at two great Jewish philosophers, and what their thinking means to our understanding of God, truth, revelation and reason. Moses Maimonides (1138-1204) is Jewish history's greatest exponent of a rational, philosophically sound Judaism. He strove to reconcile the teachings of the Bible and rabbinic tradition with the principles of Aristotelian philosophy, arguing that religion and philosophy ultimately must arrive at the same truth. Baruch Spinoza (1632-77) is Jewish history's most illustrious "heretic." He believed that truth could be attained through reason alone, and that philosophy and religion were separate domains that could not be reconciled. His critique of the Bible and its teachings caused an intellectual and spiritual upheaval whose effects are still felt today. Rabbi Marc D. Angel discusses major themes in the writings of Maimonides and Spinoza to show us how modern people can deal with religion in an intellectually honest and meaningful way. From Maimonides, we gain insight on how to harmonize traditional religious belief with the dictates of reason. From Spinoza, we gain insight into the intellectual challenges which must be met by modern believers.

In this authoritative guide to Judaism, respected scholar M. Friedlander provides a comprehensive overview of Jewish history, beliefs, and practices. This book is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of one of the world's oldest and most influential religions. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This essay in the history of ideas seeks to trace the development of creed formation in Judaism from its inception with Moses Maimonides (1135-1204) to the beginning of the sixteenth-century, when systematic attention to the problem disappeared from the agenda of Jewish intellectuals. Dr Kellner describes, analyses, and compares the dogmatic systems of Maimonides, Duran, Crescas, Albo, Bibado, Abravanel, among others. English translations are presented for relevant texts, which, for the most part, have never before been critically edited or translated.

"The development of this project has taken many years and evolved in many unexpected directions as a result of the advice and feedback from many people. The subject is Darwin's Jews, that is, those Jewish thinkers in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries who have given Darwin a legacy within Jewish history beyond the tragic account of Nazi race theory and eugenics that all too often dominates the discussion of Jews and Darwin. For this reason, as much as any other, it seemed like a worthwhile endeavour. But the identification and selection of the different species of Darwin's Jews has proven to be difficult fieldwork, since there are so many ideological niches and environments for so many varieties of religious and non-religious Jews within the tangled bank of modern Jewish identity. Fortunately, I have not been working alone, and am grateful for the opportunity now to acknowledge the work of others"--

Covenantal Rights is a groundbreaking work of political theory: a comprehensive, philosophically sophisticated attempt to bring insights from the Jewish political tradition into current political and legal debates about rights and to bring rights discourse more fully into Jewish thought. David Novak pursues these aims by presenting a theory of rights founded on the covenant between God and the Jewish people as that covenant is constituted by Scripture and the rabbinic tradition. In doing so, he presents a powerful challenge to prevailing liberal and conservative positions on rights and duties and opens a new chapter in contemporary Jewish political thinking. For Novak, "covenantal rights" are rooted in God's primary rights as creator of the universe and as the elector of a particular community whose members relate to this God as their sovereign. The subsequent rights of individuals and communities flow from God's covenantal promises, which function as irrevocable entitlements. This presents a sharp contrast to the liberal tradition, in which rights flow above all from individuals. It also challenges the conservative idea that duties can take precedence over rights, since Novak argues that there are no covenantal duties that are not backed by correlative rights. Novak explains carefully and clearly how this theory of covenantal rights fits into Jewish tradition and applies to the relationships among God, the covenanted community, and individuals. This work is a profound and provocative contribution to contemporary religious and political theory.

"A profound and important book... the best book on the Holocaust interpreted by a theologian of Judaism". -- Jacob Neusner

Jacob Neusner has--in over sixty scholarly works, fourteen textbooks, and thirteen collections of essays--laid the foundation and completed the structure for a new understanding of the history of Judaism. The present volume is the capstone effort to date in this endeavor. Neusner reconstructs and interprets the Mishnah's intellectual history, presenting a picture of the beginnings and first major expression of Judaism. "What makes this account distinctively historical," writes Neusner in his Introduction, "will be our sustained effort to relate the unfolding of the ideas of the Mishnah to the historical setting of the philosophers of the document, to compare context and concept, to ask about the interplay between idea and social, material reality." Neusner succeeds in this specific task and in the greater task of providing a work with methodological significance for the entire field of the history of religions.

By setting forth the book of Genesis as it is re-presented in the rabbinic statement Genesis Rabbah, Neusner demonstrates the way in which Judaism confronted creation and the Genesis story. In 'Confronting Creation', the author presents a new, analytical translation of Genesis Rabbah, a document that came to closure around 400 C.E. What made that particular time crucial in the life of Israel and the Jewish people is an event that also helped shape the entire history of Western civilization - the rise of Christianity to the status of the official religion of the Roman Empire. The Judaic sages' rereading of the Torah's accounts of the beginning of the world and of Israel took place during a time of significant change in Western civilization. That fact explains the importance of this reading of Genesis to Western civilization, because Genesis Rabbah illuminates the Judaic tradition in contemplating God's creation of the world.

"What is the relation of philosophy and theology? This question has been a matter of perennial concern in the history of Western thought. Written by one of the premier philosophers in the areas of Jewish ethics and interfaith issues between Judaism and Christianity, Athens and Jerusalem contends that philosophy and theology are not mutually exclusive. Based on the Gifford Lectures David Novak delivered at the University of Aberdeen in 2017, this book explores the commonalities and common concerns that exist between philosophy and theology on metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical questions. Where are they different and where are they the same? And, how can they speak to one another?"--

"The most important book on Jewish learning of this season, and one of the leading works published within the past few years....The work is a pioneer of its kind, in English as well as in other languages, in so far as it is a 'systematic' study of the subject....All other attempts made hitherto by German and other Jewish scholars at a presentation of Jewish theology have been of a limited scope....Kohler, on the other hand, through writing from the standpoint of the Reformer, does not refrain from giving the viewpoint of Orthodox or Conservative Judaism, which he endeavors to present fairly, howsoever much he disagrees with it....And never does Dr. Kohler better sustain his reputation as a scholar, nor use his vast learning to greater advantage, than in this splendid compendium of Jewish theology....Kohler's work covers the entire range of Jewish theological development, thus justifying its claim that it is a 'systematic' exposition of the subject where other works of a like nature dealt only with a partial survey. A mere glance at the table of contents reveals the immensity of the task performed, while a careful study of the book itself shows that the work is not only all-inclusive and exhaustive, but that it was executed with a charm and grace seldom to be met with in a work of so 'dry' a nature....The book is a truly valuable contribution to the treasure-house of Jewish learning for which its eminent author deserves the gratitude of the Jewish community. It is a book which will be read with pleasure and profit by student and layman alike." -The American Jewish Chronicle "In truth, Dr. Kohler's extended work of Jewish theology, the first of its kind, is an epoch-making contribution not only in the field of Jewish theological study, but also in the larger field of the study of comparative religion. Judging by the many favorable and even enthusiastic criticisms with which the book was received by scholars in the non-Jewish world, we are justified in believing that this work was, and will be instrumental in no small degree in correcting the utterly vicious and false view of Jewish theology, broadcasted in Christian circles.... Father Time often rectifies the encomiastic estimates made of living men so that men who were exalted in their day sink into insignificance and sometimes into oblivion with the passing of those who knew them. In the case of Dr. Kohler, I believe, that we may say, even now, that in the light of his signal and path-finding contributions in the field of Jewish scholarship, his eminence as a scholar in Israel will not be fugitive." -Hebrew Union College Monthly "Of all branches of Jewish study theology was hitherto the most neglected one. While here and there articles were written dealing with certain theological problems, no comprehensive book covering the entire field of Jewish theology and presenting a systematic treatment of the fundamental beliefs and doctrines of Judaism has heretofore appeared. Dr. Kohler's book is the first attempt in this direction....The method of Dr. Kohler in treating the subject of Jewish theology is a very excellent one and should be take as a starting point by future writers on the subject. He divides the subject into three parts God, where all questions relating to God, his nature and relation to the world are discussed; Man, dealing with man's relation to God and the world; and Israel and the Kingdom of God, describing the Jewish Mission and the destiny of Israel in history...The great scholarship displayed in it, the warmth and enthusiasm, the beautiful and simple style...and the zeal and earnestness, as well as the store of knowledge on traditional theology contained in it, will always serve as a source of inspiration to all those who respect earnestness and scholarship no matter how much their opinions may differ from the author's." -The Jewish Forum

Jacob Neusner is Research Professor of Religion and Theology at Bard College and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard. He has published more than 900 books and unnumbered articles, both scholarly and academic and popular and journalistic, and is the most published humanities scholar in the world. He has been awarded nine honorary degrees, including seven US and European honorary doctorates. He received his AB from Harvard College in 1953, his PhD from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in 1961, and rabbinical ordination and the degree of Master of Hebrew Letters from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1960. Neusner is editor of the 'Encyclopedia of Judaism' (Brill, 1999. I-III) and its Supplements; Chair of the Editorial Board of 'The Review of Rabbinic Judaism, ' and Editor in Chief of 'The Brill Reference Library of Judaism', both published by E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands. He is editor of 'Studies in Judaism', University Press of America. Neusner resides with his wife in Rhinebeck, New York. They have a daughter, three sons and three daughters-in-law, six granddaughters and two grandsons.

A window into the Jewish idea of responsibility to care for the world--written especially for Christians. The concept of repairing the world (tikkun olam) is an integral part of Jewish life. It helps shape Jewish social and family relationships, and even mandates how Jews should speak to others. But why is it important for Christians to understand this Jewish approach to life? And what kind of impact can understanding this fundamental aspect of Judaism have on Christians seeking to develop a deeper understanding of their own faith? With insight and wisdom, award-winning author Rabbi Elliot Dorff provides an accessible, honest and thorough exploration of this important Jewish concept. With easy-to-understand explanations of Jewish terms, practices and history, each chapter explores a different facet touched by the tradition of tikkun olam. Rabbi Dorff also addresses parallel themes and practices in the Christian tradition, helping you better understand the roots of Christianity and how the fundamentals of Judaism relate and reflect your own aspirations to repair the world. Caring for the Poor The Power of Words The Ministry of Presence Duties of Spouses to Each Other Children's Duties to Their Parents Parent's Duties to Their Children The Traditional Jewish Vision of the Ideal World

Every work on Jewish thought and law since the twelfth century bears the imprint of Maimonides. A. N. Whitehead's famous dictum that the entire European philosophical tradition 'consists of a series of footnotes to Plato' could equally characterize Maimonides' place in the Jewish tradition. The critical studies in this volume explore how Orthodox rabbis of different orientations--Shlomo Aviner, Naftali Zvi Yehudah Berlin (Netziv), Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, Joseph Kafih, Abraham Isaac Kook, Aaron Kotler, Joseph Soloveitchik, and Elhanan Wasserman--have read and provided footnotes to Maimonides in the long twentieth century. How well did they really understand Maimonides? And where do their arguments fit in the mainstream debates about him and his works? Each of the seven core chapters examines a particular approach. Some rabbis have tried to liberate themselves from the influence of his ideas. Others have sought to build on those ideas or expand them in ways which Maimonides himself did not pursue, and which he may well not have agreed with. Still others advance patently non-Maimonidean positions, while attributing them to none other than Maimonides. Above all, the essays published here demonstrate that his legacy remains vibrantly alive today.

An eminent scholar of the history of Judaism, Jacob Neusner shows in this work how Judaism changed from a philosophy to a religion between 200 and 400 C.E. 'The Transformation of Judaism' is a work both revolutionary in its method and unprecedented in its results. Comparing earlier and later sets of Judaic writings, Neusner sets forth how philosophy - abstract, elegant, orderly, and intellectual - turned into religion - tangible, down-to-earth, chaotic, and concrete. In the process, he offers an account of the birth of Judaism that has become normative. Moreover, Neusner's methodology can be applied to the study of religions other than Judaism because it examines the underpinnings of how a society sees the world (philosophy), orders itself (politics), and sustains itself (economics).