Jewish Thought/Philosophy/Theology

by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson - Dean, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

In so many areas, Judaism continues to demonstrate a rich diversity and vitality as it has in ages past. Nowhere is that more true than in the realm of Jewish thought, bringing the light of reason to understanding God, Torah, mitzvot, ethics, and our destiny. People are natural theologians – meaning-making creatures who seek to make sense of the world we are born into. Theology and philosophy are the indispensable tools for asking the right questions and testing our answers. In the fulfillment of this fundamental Jewish task, these books will help to make smooth your path.

The Jewish Philosophy Reader, ed., Daniel Frank, Oliver Leaman, & Charles H. Manekin (Routledge, 2000). This masterful anthology presents the essential thinkers over the entire stretch of Jewish philosophical thought. From the theological roots in the Torah and Rabbinics, moving through Philo and the medieval giants into the flowering of modern and contemporary thought, this anthology provides insight, depth, and breadth for anyone seeking to think seriously about Jewish faith.

A Maimonides Reader, ed., Isadore Twersky (Behrman House, 1972). Without doubt, the greatest theologian of the medieval period (and perhaps of all time) is Rabbi Moses Maimonides. In this anthology, a master scholar of Maimonides presents generous selections from his main works, the Guide for the Perplexed, the Mishneh Torah, and his letters. Rambam enlightens and guides in this age no less than in the past, and his questions (and proposed solutions) are essential for nuanced faith today.

Louis Jacobs, A Jewish Theology (Behrman House, 1973). This book is a mixture of a constructive theology and a thorough review of the sources of Jewish theology. Louis Jacobs is a master teacher of Torah in the fullest sense. This book is a gripping and thorough presentation of how to think today using the fullest tools of the Jewish past.

Contemporary Jewish Theology: A Reader, eds., Elliot Dorff and Louis E. Newman (Oxford, 1999). Rabbi Dorff, a respected figure in the Conservative Movement, is a professor at the University of Judaism and has trained a generation of rabbis. He has compiled a wonderful collection of contemporary Jewish theology, astonishing and enriching the reader with the range, diversity, and vitality of Jewish thought today.

Neil Gillman, Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the Modern Jew (Jewish Publication Society, 1990). Rabbi Gillman is a professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary and has influenced a generation of rabbis and scholars. This book invites the reader to use the thinking of Judaism’s best minds to create one’s own theology – a coherent and persuasive understanding of Jewish belief on the key issues of God, Revelation, Torah, observance, good and evil.