Overview

Jewish Theology Unbound challenges the widespread misinterpretation of Judaism as a religion of law as opposed to theology. James A. Diamond provides close readings of the Bible, classical rabbinic texts, Jewish philosophers, and mystics from the ancient, medieval, and modern period, which communicate a profound Jewish philosophical theology on human nature, God, and the relationship between the two. The study begins with an examination of questioning in the Hebrew Bible, demonstrating that what the Bible encourages is independent philosophical inquiry into how to situate oneself in the world ethically, spiritually, and teleologically. It explores such themes as the nature of God through the various names by which God is known in the Jewish intellectual tradition, love of others and of God, death, martyrdom, freedom, angels, the philosophical quest, the Holocaust, and the state of Israel, all in light of the Hebrew Bible and the way it is filtered through the rabbinic, philosophical, and mystical traditions.

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9780191843648

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In a single dazzling stroke, James Diamond has established himself as one of the leading Jewish theologians of our time. His Jewish Theology Unbound renews the theological tradition of the Bible and Talmud, brilliantly illuminating the Jewish people's quest for God and nation. From the philosophical questions posed by Hebrew Scripture to the theological challenges posed by the Shoah and the State of Israel, Diamond advances Jewish philosophical theology in profound new directions and insists on its significance for a contemporary audience. --Yoram Hazony, author of The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture Jewish Theology Unbound is a book of unusual erudition and insight. In it, James Diamond belies the all too common prejudice, held by many Jews and non-Jews, that Judaism cannot be the subject of philosophic reflection because it only presents laws, but no ideas. By carefully overcoming that prejudice, he has shown that genuine philosophic reflection speaks in the first person. In this book, Diamond has found his own voice, therefore putting himself in the company of those Jewish thinkers only about whom he has written heretofore. That is a noteworthy achievement. --David Novak, F.R.S.C. J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Professor of Jewish Studies and Philosophy, University of Toronto

Author Information

James A. Diamond, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Chair of Jewish Studies, University of Waterloo James A. Diamond is Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Chair of Jewish Studies at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on medieval Jewish thought and philosophy. His book Maimonides and the Shaping of the Jewish Canon (2014) won the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards 2015.

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