Rabbis, Rebels, and Reformers: Jewish Philosophy through the Ages
RELI 294
Spring 2013
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
COL 337 |
| Certificates: Jewish and Israel Studies, Middle Eastern Studies |
How has the philosophical quest contributed to Jewish thought and how has Judaism contributed to the philosophical tradition? This course offers an introduction to the classics of Jewish philosophy and theology through the ages. We begin with the Bible, which bears witness to the earliest encounter of Torah and philosophy. We will explore the growth of philosophical thought in Hellenistic Jewish culture and its flowering in the medieval Islamic world. We will then focus on the engagement of Jewish thinkers with the philosophical problems of modernity, from Benedict Spinoza to Abraham Joshua Heschel. Among the questions we will consider in class are: the role of reason in religion, the relationship between Jewish and non-Jewish wisdom, and the effort to update Jewish modes of thought and its ancestral tradition to the burning questions of each generation. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS RELI |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (RELI) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Ecclesiastes
Philo of Alexandria (selections)
Maimonides, GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED
Benedict Spinoza, THEOLOGICO-POLITICAL TREATISE
Hermann Cohen, RELIGION OF REASON OUT OF THE SOURCES OF JUDAISM
Martin Buber, I AND THOU
Franz Rosenzweig, STAR OF REDEMPTION
Abraham J. Heschel, GOD IN SEARCH OF MAN
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Examinations and Assignments:
Two short papers. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course fulfills the "Method & Theory" requirement for the Religion Department major. |
| Instructor(s): Russ-Fishbane,Elisha Reuven Times: ..T.R.. 02:40PM-04:00PM; Location: FISK412; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 19 | | SR major: 3 | JR major: 3 | | |
| Seats Available: 6 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 4 | FR: 3 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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