Love and Terror in the God Encounter: The Theological Legacy of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik
The intellectual legacy of one of the twentieth century's greatest religious thinkers—explained by a leading theologian of our day.
"It is only through experiencing the contradictions in human existence, through being overwhelmed by the divine presence, through the finite human being feeling terror-stricken by the infinite majesty of God that one can develop an authentic religious personality."
—David Hartman (From Chapter 6)
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903–1993) profoundly influenced modern Orthodox Judaism in the United States—and Judaism as a whole—by opening up a discourse between the tradition of Torah study and Western philosophical thought. The future of both religious Zionism in Israel and of Orthodoxy in America hangs to a great extent on how we interpret his intellectual legacy. Dr. David Hartman’s penetrating analysis of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s work reveals a Judaism committed to intellectual courage, integrity and openness.
A renowned theologian and philosopher, Hartman meticulously explores the subtlety and complexity of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s theological thought, exposing a surprising intersection of halakhic tradition and modern Western theology—a confrontation that deepens and expands our spiritual understanding. Hartman’s provocative interpretation bears witness to the legitimacy of remaining loyal to the Judaic tradition without sacrificing one’s intellectual freedom and honesty.
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Book details
- Author
- David Hartman
- Imprint
- Jewish Lights, an imprint of Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Formats
- Paperback, Hardcover
- Subjects
- Religion › Judaism › Theology
- Topics
- Jewish theology · Orthodox Judaism · Jewish philosophy · religious thought · faith and human existence · Torah and Western philosophy · religious Zionism
- ISBN-13
- 9781580231763 (Paperback)9781683361800 (Hardcover)
About the author
DAVID HARTMAN was the founder and president emeritus of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and the author of many books, including From Defender to Critic: The Search for a New Jewish Self, The God Who Hates Lies: Confronting and Rethinking Jewish Tradition and A Heart of Many Rooms: Celebrating the Many Voices within Judaism.
Hartman’s A Living Covenant: The Innovative Spirit in Traditional Judaism and Maimonides: Torah and Philosophic Quest were both winners of the National Jewish Book Award. A Heart of Many Rooms was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. He held rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University’s theological seminary in New York City and served as professor emeritus at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.