Love and Terror in the God Encounter: The Theological Legacy of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Volume 1The 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." 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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... realm . By contrast , he believes , theism describes an eternal , perfect abode , which repre- sents the true destiny of the human spirit . For homo religiosus , ethics and politics merely provide an orientation to this world . Re ...
... realm . . . . The universal homo religiosus proclaims : The lower yearns for the higher . But halakhic man , with his unique mode of understanding , declares : The higher longs and pines for the lower . ( 1983 : 53 , 39 ) The spiritual ...
... realm of the universal . His roots lie deep in the soil of faceless mediocrity ; his growth takes place solely within the public domain . He has no stature of his own , no original , individual , personal profile . He has never created ...
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
THE HALAKHIC HERO | 23 |
THE RELIGIOUS PASSION OF HALAKHIC | 63 |
Copyright | |
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