Highlighting well-known Jewish thinkers from a very wide spectrum of opinion the author addresses a range of issues including: What makes a thinker Jewish? What makes modern Jewish thought modern? How have secular Jews integrated Jewish traditional thought with agnosticism? What do Orthodox thinkers have to teach non-Orthodox Jews and vice versa?

Acknowledgments

ix

Introduction

xi

PART I: MODERN JUDAISM: ATTACK AND DEFENSE

1

(66)

1 Baruch Spinoza's Critique of Traditional Religion

5

(20)

Spinoza's Life and Times (1632-1677)

5

(5)

Questions for Spinoza, Theological-Political Treatise, Chapters 12-13

10

(1)

Studies by and about Spinoza

11

(1)

From Theological-Political Treatise

12

(13)

2 Moses Mendelssohn's Defense of Judaism: Between Reason and Revelation

25

(16)

Mendelssohn's Life and Times (1729-1786)

25

(7)

Questions for Mendelssohn, Jerusalem, 103-10

32

(1)

Studies by and about Mendelssohn

33

(1)

From Jerusalem

33

(8)

3 Samson Raphael Hirsch's Defense of Judaism: The Reconciliation of Modernity and the Mitzvot

41

(12)

Hirsch's Life and Times (1808-1888)

41

(6)

Questions for Hirsch, The Nineteen Letters on Judaism, Letter 16

47

(1)

Studies by and about Hirsch

48

(1)

From The Nineteen Letters on Judaism

49

(4)

4 Abraham Geiger's Defense of Judaism: Continuity and Change

53

(14)

Geiger's Life and Times (1810-1874)

53

(5)

Questions for Geiger, Judaism and Its History

58

(1)

Studies by and about Geiger

59

(1)

From Abraham Geiger and Liberal Judaism: The Challenge of the Nineteenth Century

60

(7)

PART II: RECOVERING TRADITION FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE COMMUNITY

67

(92)

5 Martin Buber: Restoring the Jewish Individual

73

(16)

Buber's Life and Times (1878-1965)

73

(7)

Questions for Buber, "People Today and the Jewish Bible"

80

(1)

Studies by and about Buber

81

(1)

From "People Today and the Jewish Bible"

82

(7)

6 Franz Rosenzweig: From Alienated Existentialist to Ba'al Teshuvah

89

(14)

Rosenzweig's Life and Times (1886-1929)

89

(5)

Questions for Rosenzweig, The Star of Redemption, 413-17

94

(1)

Studies by and about Rosenzweig

95

(1)

From The Star of Redemption

96

(7)

7 Theodor Herzl: A Jewish Modernist from Western Europe

103

(14)

Herzl's Life and Times (1860-1904)

103

(7)

Questions for Herzl, The Jewish State

110

(1)

Studies by and about Herzl

111

(1)

From The Jewish State

111

(6)

8 Ahad Ha'am (Asher Zvi Ginzberg): A Jewish Modernist from Eastern Europe

117

(16)

Ahad Ha'am's Life and Times (1856-1927)

117

(6)

Questions for Ahad Ha'am, "Flesh and Spirit," 146-58 (from Leon Simon, Selected Essays of Ahad Ha'am)

123

(1)

Studies by and about Ahad Ha'am

124

(1)

From "Flesh and Spirit"

124

(9)

9 Mordecai Kaplan: A Secularist (Re)Constructs Religion

133

(26)

Kaplan's Life and Times (1881-1983)

133

(6)

Questions for Kaplan, "Functional Method of Interpretation," (from Judaism as a Civilization, 385-405)

139

(1)

Studies by and about Kaplan

140

(1)

From Judaism as a Civilization

141

(18)

PART III: RECOVERING KEDUSHAH (THE SACRED) IN A PROFANE AGE

159

(64)

10 Israel Salanter: Restoring "Fear of Heaven" to Human Behavior

165

(18)

Salanter's Life and Times (1810-1883)

165

(5)

Questions for Salanter, "Epistle of Musar"

170

(1)

Studies by and about Salanter

171

(1)

From "Epistle of Musar"

171

(12)

11 Abraham Isaac Kook: Mysticism and Nationalism

183

(14)

Kook's Life and Times (1865-1935)

183

(7)

Questions for Kook, Lights for Rebirth (from Hertzberg, The Zionist Idea, 419-30)

190

(1)

Studies by and about Kook

190

(1)

From Lights for Rebirth

191

(6)

12 Joseph Soloveitchik: Halachah and Existentialism

197

(12)

Soloveitchik's Life and Times (1903-1993)

197

(5)

Questions for Soloveitchik, The Lonely Man of Faith

202

(1)

Studies by and about Soloveitchik

202

(1)

From The Lonely Man of Faith

203

(6)

13 Abraham Joshua Heschel: Universal Hasidism

209

(14)

Heschel's Life and Times (1907-1972)

209

(7)

Questions for Heschel, "Depth Theology," (from The Insecurity of Freedom)

216

(1)

Studies by and about Heschel

216

(1)

From "Depth Theology"

217

(6)

Conclusion: Mending the World/Mending Israel

223

(8)

Index

231

(6)

About the Author

237

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