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An Intellectually Rich and Challenging Exploration of Modern Jewish Theology
"How we deal with revelation determines how we handle the issue of authority in belief and practice. How we understand authority determines how we deal with the claims of the tradition on us; how we deal with those claims determines how we shape our own Judaism. That conclusion opens the gate to a reconsideration of all of Judaism's theology, in particular how we understand God, for God is at the heart of Torah."
—from the Introduction
With clarity and passion, award-winning teacher, author and theologian Neil Gillman captures the power of Jewish theological claims and reveals extraordinary insights into Jewish identity, the purpose of religion, and our relationship with God.
Drawing from Judaism's sacred texts as well as great thinkers such as Mordecai Kaplan, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Paul Tillich, Gillman traces his theological journey over four decades of study, beginning with his own understanding of revelation. He explores the role of symbol and myth in our understanding of the nature of God and covenant. He examines the importance of community in both determining authority and sanctifying sacred space.
By charting the development of his own personal theology, Gillman explores the evolution of Jewish thought and its implications for modern Jewish religious identity today and in the future.
For the past twenty years Rabbi Neil Gillman has been one of the leading American thinkers on Jewish theological issues. This volume can be seen as a summing-up of his thought over the past decades, as he prepares to retire from the faculty of the Jewish Theological Seminary. The essays come from a variety of sources, including Sh'ma, Conservative Judaism, and other journals and books from the mid-1980s up to 2006.
The book is divided into sections on God, Torah and Israel, but is not rigorous in differentiating the topics. The first section contains a wonderful article on prophecy in the works of Heschel, and another on renewed interest in resurrection over the past half-century. In the second section Gilman discusses the role of the Jewish philosopher; this portion also includes an analysis of rabbinic education written in 1990. The third section focuses on the Conservative movement as it approaches its official centennial. It includes suggestions for establishing theological principles and "A New Aggadah" for the movement.
Rabbi Gillman's work is always worth reading. His essays give the serious reader food for thought. This book is recommended for academic libraries and Conservative synagogues, and also suggested for synagogues whose rabbis and members are interested in the ongoing flow of theological discussion.
Introduction: My Theological Journey ix
Part One: God
1. I Believe 3
2. On Knowing God 7
3. The Dynamics of Prophecy in the Writings of Abraham Joshua Heschel 16
4. Creation in the Bible and in the Liturgy 32
5. How Will It All End? Eschatology in Science and Religion 53
6. Beyond Wissenschaft: The Resurrection
of Resurrection in Jewish Thought since 1950 68
Part Two: Torah
7. The Jewish Philosopher in Search of a Role 89
8. Authority and Parameters in Jewish Decision Making 105
9. On the Religious Education of American Rabbis 114
10. Teaching the Akedah 136
Part Three: Israel
11. Judaism and the Search for Spirituality 149
12. A Conservative Theology for the Twenty-first Century 170
13. A New Aggadah for the Conservative Movement 187
14. Rituals, Myths, and Communities 207
15. Coping with Chaos: Jewish Theological and Ritual Resources 224
16. In Praise of Birkat Kohanim 242
Notes 247
Glossary 269
Credits 274
Index 276