This three part series will explore central themes in Jewish theology and their relevance to our lives. Lecture topics include:
I. How (Not) To Talk About God April 28, 2010 In this first session, we'll begin by exploring the very different ways two seminal Jewish thinkers-- Maimonides and Abraham Joshua Heschel-- thought about God, and see what's at stake for us in their disagreement. We'll continue by discussing why the idea of God's transcendence is so important for Jewish theology-- why, in other words, everything is not God. Listen to Session 1 (April 28)
II. On Faith, Doubt, and the Possibility of Believing in Our Time May 5, 2010 In this session, we'll explore some of the ways Jewish thinkers have thought about faith and doubt, and about the relationship between them. How might we think about faith-- what does it mean? What does it look like in real life? What risks are entailed by a life of faith? We'll also ask how the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard can help us think about faith, passion, and uncertainty in our own lives.
III. On Walking in God's Ways and the Path of Lovingkindness (Hesed) May 12, 2010 In this final session, we'll explore what Judaism sees as the culmination of the good life: embodying the ideal of Hesed in the world. Using Maimonides as our springboard, we'll explore the relationship between a life of contemplation and a life of action.
This three-part series will lay out an overarching theory of and approach to halakhah (Jewish Law).The lectures will focus on the following themes: I. History--Our Present Moment: Its genesis and our way forward (March 4) II. Philosophy and Theology--Viewing halakhic norms as representing values worthy of respect rather than arbitrary rules demanding obedience (March 11) III.Law--Practical examples of language and category shifts that allow us to engage even the most contentious areas of Jewish Law (March 18)
We are grateful to the David Berg Foundation for making these lectures possible.
A Role Model for Social Action - Moshe's Leadership
Mishael Zion
Taking a close look at Shemot Chapter 2, with the help of Franz Kafka, Rabbi Moshe Chalphon hacohen and Yehuda Amichai, we will try to unravel some of the lessons Moshe Rabeinu teaches us about taking aciton in the face of injustice.
Few texts in the history of Judaism have been as evocative, elusive, and controversial as Genesis 22, the story of the Akedah. Why does God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son, and why does Abraham agree? What are the consequences of this fateful event for Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah-- and for us as readers and students of this text? We'll begin with a close literary and theological exploration of the Biblical text itself, consider the interpretations of Hazal, and then create a multi-faceted conversation among an array of modern Jewish (and Christian) thinkers as they-- and we-- struggle to make sense of this text and its role in Jewish theology and spirituality. Our investigation will include such thinkers as Soren Kierkegaard, Abraham Isaac Kook, Joseph Soloveitchik, Yeshayahu Leibowitz, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Martin Buber, Phyllis Trible, Uriel Simon, Jon Levenson, and others.
