Overview

The Jewish God Question explores what a diverse array of Jewish thinkers have said about the interrelated questions of God, the Book, the Jewish people, and the Land of Israel. Exploring topics such as the existence of God, God's relationship to the world and to history, how to read the Bible, Jewish mysticism, the evolution of Judaism, and more, Andrew Pessin makes key insights from the Jewish philosophical tradition accessible and engaging. Short chapters share fascinating insights from ancient times to today, from Philo to Judith Plaskow. The book emphasizes the more unusual or intriguing ideas and arguments, as well as the most influential.The Jewish God Question is an exciting and useful book for readers wrestling with some very big questions.

Full Product Details

Author:   Andrew Pessin
Publisher:   Rowman & Littlefield
Imprint:   Rowman & Littlefield
Dimensions:   Width: 15.80cm , Height: 2.10cm , Length: 23.80cm
Weight:   0.540kg
ISBN:  

9781538110980

ISBN 10:   1538110989
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   15 November 2018
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction PART I: PHILO-IBN DAUD (c. 20 BCE-1180 CE) Introduction to Part I Philo (c. 20 BCE-c. 50 CE) 1. On Beginning with The Beginning On the Law, creation, and the cosmos 2. The People of the Book, and the Book of (All) the People The Torah expresses a universal philosophy for everyone Saadia Ben Joseph Gaon (882-942) 3. What a Long, Strange Trip It Hasn't Been The cosmos must have had a first moment of creation 4. Two Ways of Being One There is just one god, who is one, all the way through Isaac Israeli (c. 855-955) 5. The Descent, and Ascent, of Man Cosmology and psychology illuminate the way to eternal bliss Solomon Ibn Gabirol (1021-58) 6. On the Matter of the Soul All objects, physical or spiritual, are a combination of matter and form, and that is the secret to blessedness Bachya Ibn Paquda (c. 1050-1120) 7. Do the Right Thing-for the Right Reasons Duties of the limb are imperfect unless accompanied by duties of the heart Abraham Bar Chiyya (1065-1136) 8. And God Did Not Say, Let There Be Man Both scripture and philosophical reasoning demonstrate the immortality of the soul Joseph Ibn Tzaddik (?-1149) 9. In the Beginning Was the Beginning-of Time How to reconcile the eternal unchanging nature of God's will with His creating the cosmos Judah Halevi (c. 1075-1141) 10. The Philosopher's God The God who does not hear or care is not the God of the Hebrew Bible 11. The Spiritual Lighthouse The children of Israel were chosen for the mission of spreading the divine light 12. Home Is Where the Heart Is The children of Israel belong in the Land of Israel Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089-1164) 13. The History over the Mystery Why God prefaces the Ten Commandments with a history lesson Abraham Ibn Daud (Rabad) (1110-80) 14. The Unmoved Mover Philosophical principles prove the existence of the nonphysical God of Judaism 15. What God Does Not Know, Despite Knowing Everything Although our free actions cannot be foreknown, there is no lack in God's knowledge PART II: MAIMONIDES-SFORNO (1135-c. 1550) Introduction to Part II Maimonides (1135-1204) 16. Not That Many Are Called Very few people are properly prepared to study the philosophical truths of religion 17. Speaking of God . . . On what can, and cannot, be said about God 18. And Behold, It Still Is Pretty Good How the perfectly good, all-powerful God could make a world containing so much evil Moses Ben Nachman (Nachmanides, Ramban) (1194-1270) 19. Though the Messiah May Tarry, We Should Not The Torah obligates the Jew to return to the Land of Israel 20. The Messiah Still Tarries-Contrary Opinions Notwithstanding Contra the Christian claim, Jews do not believe the messiah has yet appeared Hillel Ben Samuel (1220-95) 21. The Ultimate Meeting of the Minds In defense of personal immortality from the challenge of the universal intellect Moses De Leon (1240-1305) 22. Sex as a Mystical Experience Jewish mysticism sees a cosmos in which God battles dark forces, and seeks our assistance Abraham Abulafia (1240-c. 1292) 23. What's in a Name? Only Everything Prophetic Kabbalah leads the way to spiritual perfection and redemption Isaac Albalag (late thirteenth century) 24. Agree to Disagree Sometimes both scripture and philosophy are true-even where they disagree Abner of Burgos (1270-1347) 25. Voluntary Actions in a Predetermined World Human freedom can be preserved even in a world where everything is caused Isaac Pollegar (d. c. 1330) 26. It Really Is Up to You Human freedom refutes causal predeterminism Joseph Ibn Kaspi (1279-1331) 27. Distance Makes the Heart Grow Harder Reading the Bible literally and naturally is preferable Levi Ben Gerson (Gersonides) (1288-1344) 28. What We Talk about When We Talk about God Our ordinary language does apply to God despite the great gap between God and ordinary things 29. If God Only Knew Divine foreknowledge really is incompatible with human freedom, and so must be rejected Aaron Ben Elijah of Nicomedia (c. 1328-69) 30. You Should Get That in Writing On privileging the written Law over the oral Law Moses Ben Joshua of Narbonne (Narboni) (d. c. 1362) 31. Don't Do Everything Possible God knows the cosmos by knowing Himself, and thus makes room for human freedom Chasdai Ben Judah Crescas (c. 1340-1410/11) 32. Love of God over Love of Wisdom Contra the philosophers, it is not knowledge of but love of God that confers immortality 33. Keep On Keeping On Even an eternal cosmos requires God to create it-and to keep it in existence 34. Determined to Be Free There is foreknowledge and causal predeterminism-and freedom and moral responsibility Joseph Albo (1380-1444) 35. Back to Basics There are just three basic principles to Judaism, which also has the surest claim to divine origin Yochanan Alemanno (c. 1435-1504) 36. It's in the Stars-and in the Torah On astrology and the Hebrew Bible Abraham Bivach (Bibago) (mid-fifteenth century) 37. It's Reasonable to Believe on Faith Knowledge based on faith is superior to rational knowledge Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) 38. All or None Every commandment, large or small, and every word of scripture is equally important Elijah Del Medigo (1458-93) 39. Disagree to Disagree There's only one truth, and scripture always has it-except when it doesn't Leone Ebreo (Judah Abravanel) (c. 1460-after 1523) 40. All You Need Is Love Love is all you need Moses Ben Baruch Almosnino (c. 1515 - c. 1580) 41. Where There's a Will, There's a Way The goal is to align not our intellect with God's but our will Obadiah Sforno (c. 1470-c. 1550) 42. Do the Right Thing (Which Requires Knowing What That Is) Moral perfection is an aspect of intellectual perfection, so both are required for the good Jewish life PART III: SPINOZA-PINSKER (1632-1891) Introduction to Part III Baruch Spinoza (1632-77) 43. One with God-Literally Everything is God; and neither we, nor God, acts freely 44. Gazing at Eternity with Fresh Eyes The modern age requires a rethinking of the nature of the Bible, starting with a rejection of the supernatural Moses Mendelssohn (1729-86) 45. Have Your Kosher Cake (and Eat It Too) An observant Jew can also be a full citizen of the nation in which s/he lives Solomon Maimon (1753-1800) 46. Don't Belong to Any Club That Has You for a Member Spinoza is not an atheist, and Mendelssohn wrongly thinks you can reject Jewish Law yet remain part of the Jewish community Saul Ascher (1767-1822) 47. To Everything There Is a Season-Including Traditional Judaism Modern times require a reformulation of Judaism, from a religion of law to one of belief Leopold Zunz (1794-1886) 48. Those Who Can, Do; Those Who Cannot, Study Modern scholarship (or science ) is essential for Jews to become full members of society Solomon Steinheim (1789-1866) 49. Ya Gotta Believe! The metaphysical doctrine of creation ex nihilo is part of Judaism's essence Abraham Geiger (1810-74) 50. The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same The unchanging essence of Judaism itself dictates Judaism's modern reform Samuel Holdheim (1806-60) 51. Love Your Compatriot as You Love Yourself The spiritual mission of Judaism is best served by its radical reform Moses Sofer (Hatam Sofer) (1762-1839) 52. Same as It Ever Was Contra reform, one should change nothing in Judaism unless absolutely necessary Zacharias Frankel (1801-75) 53. Goldilocks Judaism Reform jettisons too much, Orthodoxy jettisons too little; the middle ground is just right Nachman Krochmal (1785-1840) 54. The Light unto the Nations The Jews are a nation, with a spirit and history, but one with a special spirit and history Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-88) 55. When Progress Amounts to Regress The movement to reform Judaism amounts to the rejection of Judaism 56. Positively Inauthentic The positive-historical school is no more authentic Judaism than is the Reform school Israel Salanter (1810-83) 57. The Only Thing I Can't Resist Is Temptation The righteous life requires methods of moral instruction and correction, based in Torah and psychology Zvi Hirsch Kalischer (1795-1874) 58. Not by Miracles, but by Sweat The ingathering of the exiles, through our own efforts, is the first phase of redemption Leon Pinsker (1821-91) 59. We'll Do It Our Way Jews must emancipate themselves in order to end the scourge of Judeophobia PART IV: HERZL-LEBENS (1860- ) Introduction to Part IV Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) 60. If You Will It, It Is No Dream The only solution to European antisemitism is the establishment of a Jewish state Ahad Ha'am (Asher Ginsberg) (1856-1927) 61. More Than the Jews Have Kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath Has Kept the Jews Political Zionism seeks to solve the problem of the Jews, but what's needed is to solve the problem of Jewishness Micah Joseph Berdichevsky (1865-1921) 62. Not the Last Jew, but the First Hebrew On the transvaluation of Jewish values, from the power of love to the love of power Shalom Dov Baer Schneersohn (1860-1920) 63. (Don't Be) Another Brick in the Wall Redemption will not come by the Zionists but by the messiah, when the time is ripe Hermann Cohen (1842-1918) 64. Be Reasonable Judaism is a religion of reason 65. At Home in the Exile Judaism, as a religion of reason, should oppose political Zionism Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929) 66. A People without (Need of) a Land A people with a spiritual mission is not tied to a land, but at home everywhere Martin Buber (1878-1965) 67. The Menage a Trois God is to be found in the relationship between I and You Hayim Nahman Bialik (1873-1934) 68. Building a Modern University with Ancient Stones On the inauguration of the Hebrew University, and of a renewed national life Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) 69. The Jew and the Land, as Spirit and Flesh On the foundations of religious Zionism Mordecai Kaplan (1881-1983) 70. Not as Jews, nor as Americans, but as Jewish-Americans On reconstructing Judaism for the modern American Jew Joseph Soloveitchik (1903-93) 71. From Sinai to Moriah, a Tale of Three Adams Halachic man partners with God in sanctifying the world Leo Strauss (1899-1973) 72. Reason versus Revelation and the Modern Predicament, Part I Can either be the source of absolute truth, to resist the modern attack on meaning? 73. Reason versus Revelation and the Modern Predicament, Part II The past can teach the moderns why we should remain Jews Emmanuel Levinas (1906-95) 74. Seeing God in the Face of the Other We experience God's presence in experiencing our moral obligations to other persons Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-72) 75. God in Search of Man The experience of divine concern is at the heart of authentic religious practice Eliezer Berkovits (1908-92) 76. Man in Search of God The experience of divine concern is both the foundation and endpoint of Judaism Hannah Arendt (1906-75) 77. The Banality of Evil However evil the Holocaust was, Eichmann's own evil was not radical but merely banal Emil Fackenheim (1916-2003) 78. The 614th Commandment The authentic Jew must not give Hitler a posthumous victory Yeshayahu Leibowitz (1903-94) 79. Idolatry of the 1967 Lands One should serve God, for the sake of God, and leave politics out of it Hans Jonas (1903-93) 80. God after Auschwitz The existence of evil is ultimately due to God's revocation of His own power Judith Plaskow (b. 1947) 81. Made in Her Image Feminist Judaism as a religion for all Jews Michael Wyschogrod (1928-2015) 82. The Body and the Blood It is through God's preferential love of the Jewish people that He is able to love all humanity Eugene Borowitz (1924-2016) 83. A Covenant Theology On being committed to personal autonomy and God, Israel, and Torah Rachel Adler (b. 1943) 84. A Covenant for Lovers Building on the halachic past a foundation for a more egalitarian Jewish future Tamar Ross (b. 1938) 85. Expanding the Palace of Torah An Orthodox approach to feminism Shimon Gershon Rosenberg (Shagar) (1949-2007) 86. Postmodern Times The need to reconcile Judaism with modernity has become obsolete Samuel Lebens (b. 1983) 87. Living the Dream A twenty-first-century solution to the medieval problem of divine unity Afterword: Jewish Philosophy: Past, Present, and Future? by Samuel Lebens Glossary of Hebrew Terms Sources Bibliography Index

Reviews

[Pessin] offers an overview of the diverse, serious thought Jewish thinkers have given over the centuries to broad questions about God, religion, and Judaism. . . . each chapter distills highly complex ideas and, much more importantly, got me involved with the subject. The presentations help the reader understand what motivated the position under discussion and to think along for oneself. . . . Pessin has written an outstanding overview of Jewish thought which I found moving and informative. * Midwest Book Review * This impressive summation of a huge wealth of material will be of interest to anyone interested in the history of Jewish thought. * Publishers Weekly * In eighty-seven brief chapters, Pessin offers an informative and highly readable survey of what Jewish thinkers, from antiquity through the twenty-first century, have had to say about God and related topics. Pessin is a learned guide, and he has written an accessible introduction to the varieties of Jewish philosophy by way of one of its central themes. -- Steven Nadler, University of Wisconsin-Madison I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Jewish theology or Jewish philosophy. Reading this book is both a joy and an education: Pessin's combination of knowledge, wit, readability, and insight is a rarity, and his survey touches on all the best-known Jewish thinkers and many more besides. -- Sanford Goldberg, Northwestern University This book is amazingly comprehensive and written in a lively and attractive style. It will attract a broad range of readers, all of whom will profit from reading this thought-provoking work. -- Menachem Kellner, professor emeritus, Shalem College and University of Haifa

In eighty-seven brief chapters, Pessin offers an informative and highly readable survey of what Jewish thinkers, from antiquity through the twenty-first century, have had to say about God and related topics. Pessin is a learned guide, and he has written an accessible introduction to the varieties of Jewish philosophy by way of one of its central themes. -- Steven Nadler, University of Wisconsin-Madison I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Jewish theology or Jewish philosophy. Reading this book is both a joy and an education: Pessin's combination of knowledge, wit, readability, and insight is a rarity, and his survey touches on all the best-known Jewish thinkers and many more besides. -- Sanford Goldberg, Northwestern University This book is amazingly comprehensive and written in a lively and attractive style. It will attract a broad range of readers, all of whom will profit from reading this thought-provoking work. -- Menachem Kellner, professor emeritus, Shalem College and University of Haifa This impressive summation of a huge wealth of material will be of interest to anyone interested in the history of Jewish thought. * Publishers Weekly *

In 87 brief chapters, Pessin offers an informative and highly readable survey of what Jewish thinkers, from antiquity through the twenty-first century, have had to say about God and related topics. Pessin is a learned guide, and he has written an accessible introduction to the varieties of Jewish philosophy by way of one of its central themes.--Steven Nadler, University of Wisconsin

In 87 brief chapters, Pessin offers an informative and highly readable survey of what Jewish thinkers, from antiquity through the twenty-first century, have had to say about God and related topics. Pessin is a learned guide, and he has written an accessible introduction to the varieties of Jewish philosophy by way of one of its central themes. -- Steven Nadler, University of Wisconsin I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Jewish theology or Jewish philosophy. Reading this book is both a joy and an education: Pessin's combination of knowledgeableness, wit, readability, and insight is a rarity, and his survey touches upon all of the best-known Jewish thinkers and many more besides. -- Sanford Goldberg, Northwestern University This book is amazingly comprehensive and written in a lively and attractive style. It will attract a broad range of readers, all of whom will profit from reading this thought-provoking work. -- Menachem Kellner, professor emeritus, Shalem College and University of Haifa

Author Information

Andrew Pessin is professor of philosophy at Connecticut College. In addition to his occasional appearances as The Genius on the Late Show with David Letterman, he is the author of a number of books, including The God Question: What Famous Thinkers from Plato to Dawkins Have Said about the Divine and The 60-Second Philosopher. Samuel Lebens is a research fellow in philosophy at the University of Haifa. He is chairperson of the Association for the Philosophy of Judaism.

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