Jewish Thought in Dialogue: Essays on Thinkers, Theologies and Moral Theories

by David Shatz

Overview

This carefully crafted collection of essays, Jewish Thought in Dialogue, offers creative interpretations of major Jewish texts and as well as original treatments of significant issues in Jewish theology and ethics. The collection includes philosophical readings of biblical narratives, analyses of topics in the thought of Maimonides, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, and critical and constructive examinations of divine providence, religious anthropology, free will, 9/11, evil, Halakhah and morality, altruism, autonomy in Jewish medical ethics, and the epistemology of religious belief. The author frequently brings Jewish philosophy and law into dialogue with contemporary Anglo-American philosophy. The book serves scholars and students of Jewish philosophy and law and is suitable for inclusion in syllabi of undergraduate and graduate courses.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781934843420
Publisher:	Academic Studies Press
Publication date:	01/01/2010
Series:	Judaism and Jewish Life
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

David Shatz (Ph.D. Columbia University) is Professor of Philosophy at Yeshiva University. He has authored, edited, co-edited twelve books, dealing with both Jewish and general philosophy. His books include Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and Jewish Spirituality; Judaism, Science and Moral Responsibility; Peer Review: A Critical Inquiry; and three anthologies in philosophy of the religion. His work in general philosophy focuses on the theory of knowledge, free will, and the philosophy of religion, while his work in Jewish philosophy addresses a variety of areas, most represented in this volume. He is editor of The Torah u-Madda Journal, a publication devoted to the interaction between Jewish and general culture, and editor of a book series, thus far ten volumes, that produces previously unpublished manuscripts of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. He earned his Ph.D with distinction in general philosophy from Columbia Universityand ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary.

Table of Contents

Sources and Credits. Introduction. ESSAYS IN INTERPRETATION: The Bible as a Source for Philosophical Reflection. Maimonides’ Moral Theory. Worship, Corporeality, and human perfection: A Reading of Guide of the Perplexed, III: 51-54. The Integration of Torah and Culture: Its Scope and Limits in the Thought of Rav Kook. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and the Ambiguities of “Openness”. Science and Religious Consciousness in the Thought of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. THEOLOGY, METAPHYSICSAND ETHICS: Divine Intervention and Religious Sensibilities. From Anthropology to Metaphysics: David Hartman on Divine Intervention. Is Matter All That Matters? Judaism, Free Will, and the Genetic and Neuroscientific Revolutions. “From The Depths I Have Called To You”: Jewish Reflections on September 11th and Contemporary Terrorism. Does Jewish Law Express Jewish Philosophy? The Curious Case of Theodicies. Beyond Obedience: The Ethical Theory of Rabbi Walter Wurzburger. “As Thyself”: The Limits of Altruism in Jewish Ethics. Concepts Of Autonomy in Jewish Medical Ethics. CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS ON RELIGIOUS BELIEF: The Overexamined Life Is Not Worth Living.

Editorial Reviews

"David Shatz's essays show us how, in the hands of a master, the analytic tools of Anglo-American philosophy can clarify and critically articulate the conceptual foundations of Judaism, and how Halakhic and philosophical texts and discussions in the rabbinic tradition can enrich our understanding of classical philosophical problems. These essays are constantly enlightening, closely argued and written with wit and insight. I learn from everything David Shatz writes."

Josef Stern

"A penetrating, keenly argued, profoundly wise, and often witty collection of essays by one of today's foremost Jewish philosophers."

Warren Zev Harvey

David Shatz is an excellent analytic philosopher who has also written extensively on Jewish philosophy. His articles do not merely contribute to understanding Jewish thinkers and thought. They also serve to broaden the philosophy of religion, making important issues and thinkers accessible and relevant to scholars working in other traditions. The essays will enhance scholarly appreciation of the philosophical dimensions of religious law, in a field that largely ignores or marginalizes law's role in religion. This collection is particularly welcome and will contribute valuably to a broader discussion."

Wayne Proudfoot

"David Shatz's Jewish Thought in Dialogue is rigorous and refreshing. Reflecting both his training in philosophy and intimate familiarity with Judaic materials, Shatz's essays will compel you to rethink matters of significant concern to religion and ethics. Highly recommended!"

Gerald J. Blidstein

"Shatz (philosophy, Yeshiva University) has collected and edited several of his essays, published between 1990 and 2004. His underlying theme is the connection of Jewish philosophy and ethics to events and ideas of the gentile world. He commences with the earliest source, the book of Genesis reflecting on the moral dilemmas posed in the beginning. He then discusses the most influential of the medieval thinkers, Maimonides, before moving to twentieth century philosophers and Halakhic scholars, R. Abraham Isaac Kook and R. Joseph B. Soloveichik. The views of these two men recur in later essays on religion and science as well as ethics and law. The concept of ethics is uppermost in Shatz's struggle to comprehend a melding of metaphysics and secular studies. His essay on 9/11 shows the personal effort of the philosopher to find meaning in the inexplicable. An index of biblical and rabbinic sources as well as one by subject will be useful to scholars pondering many of the same questions."

Annotation ©2010 Book News Inc. Portland

"Shatz (philosophy, Yeshiva University) has collected and edited several of his essays, published between 1990 and 2004. His underlying theme is the connection of Jewish philosophy and ethics to events and ideas of the gentile world. He commences with the earliest source, the book of Genesis reflecting on the moral dilemmas posed in the beginning. He then discusses the most influential of the medieval thinkers, Maimonides, before moving to twentieth century philosophers and Halakhic scholars, R. Abraham Isaac Kook and R. Joseph B. Soloveichik. The views of these two men recur in later essays on religion and science as well as ethics and law. The concept of ethics is uppermost in Shatz's struggle to comprehend a melding of metaphysics and secular studies. His essay on 9/11 shows the personal effort of the philosopher to find meaning in the inexplicable. An index of biblical and rabbinic sources as well as one by subject will be useful to scholars pondering many of the same questions."

Annotation ©2010 Book News Inc. Portland

"A penetrating, keenly argued, profoundly wise, and often witty collection of essays by one of today's foremost Jewish philosophers."
--Warren Zev Harvey, Chair, Department of Jewish Thought, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

“David Shatz is an excellent analytic philosopher who has also written extensively on Jewish philosophy. His articles do not merely contribute to understanding Jewish thinkers and thought. They also serve to broaden the philosophy of religion, making important issues and thinkers accessible and relevant to scholars working in other traditions. The essays will enhance scholarly appreciation of the philosophical dimensions of religious law, in a field that largely ignores or marginalizes law's role in religion. This collection is particularly welcome and will contribute valuably to a broader discussion.”â?”Wayne Proudfoot, Professor of Religion, Columbia University

"David Shatz's Jewish Thought in Dialogue is rigorous and refreshing. Reflecting both his training in philosophy and intimate familiarity with Judaic materials, Shatz's essays will compel you to rethink matters of significant concern to religion and ethics. Highly recommended!" -- Gerald J. Blidstein, Professor Emeritus of Jewish Thought, Ben-Gurion University and recipient of the 2006 Israel Prize in Jewish Thought

"David Shatz's essays show us how, in the hands of a master, the analytic tools of Anglo-American philosophy can clarify and critically articulate the conceptual foundations of Judaism, and how Halakhic and philosophical texts and discussions in the rabbinic tradition can enrich our understanding of classical philosophical problems. These essays are constantly enlightening, closely argued and written with wit and insight. I learn from everything David Shatz writes." -- Josef Stern, William H. Colvin Professor of Philosophy and Director, Center for Jewish Studies, University of Chicago

Shatz (philosophy, Yeshiva University) has collected and edited several of his essays, published between 1990 and 2004. His underlying theme is the connection of Jewish philosophy and ethics to events and ideas of the gentile world. He commences with the earliest source, the book of Genesis reflecting on the moral dilemmas posed in the beginning. He then discusses the most influential of the medieval thinkers, Maimonides, before moving to twentieth century philosophers and Halakhic scholars, R. Abraham Isaac Kook and R. Joseph B. Soloveichik. The views of these two men recur in later essays on religion and science as well as ethics and law. The concept of ethics is uppermost in Shatz's struggle to comprehend a melding of metaphysics and secular studies. His essay on 9/11 shows the personal effort of the philosopher to find meaning in the inexplicable. An index of biblical and rabbinic sources as well as one by subject will be useful to scholars pondering many of the same questions. (Annotation ©2010 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

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