The Scepter Shall Not Depart from Judah Perspectives on the Persistence of the Political in Judaism

by Mittleman, Alan L.

• ISBN13: 9780739100967
• ISBN10: 0739100963
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-02-09
• Publisher: Lexington Books

Summary

In The Scepter Shall Not Depart from Judah, Alan Mittleman looks at some of the central problems of political philosophy--such as fundamental rights and the common good--from the point of view of rabbinic Judaism. At the same time, he considers conceptual issues in Judaism--such as covenant and tradition--from the perspective of political philosophy. Mittleman's sources range from the ancient rabbis to contemporary political theorists, making this volume an important one for courses and research in both Jewish studies and political theory.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	1	(18)
Paradigm Lost: The Decline of the Jews As a Polity	19	(28)
The Recovery of Covenant: The Politicization of Jewish Origins	47	(24)
Covenant and Tradition: The Dynamics of Consent	71	(20)
The Emergence of the Polity	91	(16)
Persons and Rights	107	(24)
The Dilemma of Modern Judaism As a Problem of Political Obligation	131	(14)
Individuals and the Common Good	145	(12)
The Constitution of a Jewish State: The Thought of R. Shimon Federbush	157	(18)
Afterword	175	(4)
Index	179	(6)
About the Author	185