by Rabbi Shai Held
In this class, we will explore the theological worldviews of Rabbis Abraham Joshua Heschel and Joseph Soloveitchik. We'll begin with Heschel, and discuss:
a) the meaning of wonder and radical amazement, and their connection to a sense of commandedness;
b) Heschel's belief in a personal God and his idea that God is "in search of man";
c) the meaning of prophecy, and how prophets can serve as role models for our own religious lives;
d) the problem of evil and how it affected Heschel's relationship with God; and
e) the life of prayer, and our attempt to overcome self-centeredness.
Then we'll turn to Soloveitchik and focus especially on the idea of the human being as creator, and on how that plays out in a variety of Soloveitchik's writings. The class aims both to introduce Heschel and Soloveitchik on their own terms, and to provide students with a vocabulary for thinking about their own religious commitments and obligations.
Download Session 1 (June 15, 2010)
Download Session 2, Part 1 (June 18, 2010)
Download Session 2, Part 2
Download Session 3 (June 22, 2010)
Download Session 4 (June 25, 2010)
Download Session 5 (July 2, 2010)
Download Session 6 (July 6, 2010)
Download Session 7 (July 9, 2010)
Download Session 8 (July 13, 2010)
Download Session 9 (July 16, 2010)
Download Session 10 (July 21, 2010)
Download Session 11 (July 27, 2010)
Download Session 12 (July 30, 2010)
Download Session 13 (August 3, 2010)
