The Jewish Thought of Emil Fackenheim


Book Description

An anthology of articles and excerpts from books, many of which deal with the concept of the uniqueness of Nazi antisemitism and of the Holocaust. See especially the sections: Radical Evil and Auschwitz as Unprecedented Event (119-156); The Exposure to Auschwitz and the 614th Commandment (157-183); Jewish-Christian Dialogue (235-254); Antisemitism (255-285); The Idea of Humanity after Auschwitz (306-329); Was Hitler's War Just Another War? A Post-Mortem on Bitburg (365-368).




To Mend the World


Book Description

"This subtle and nuanced study is clearly Fackenheim's most important book." —Paul Mendes-Flohr " . . . magnificent in sweep and in execution of detail." —Franklin H. Littell In To Mend the World Emil L. Fackenheim points the way to Judaism's renewal in a world and an age in which all of our notions—about God, humanity, and revelation—have been severely challenged. He tests the resources within Judaism for healing the breach between secularism and revelation after the Holocaust. Spinoza, Rosenzweig, Hegel, Heidegger, and Buber figure prominently in his account.




Jewish Philosophers and Jewish Philosophy


Book Description

If, in content and in method, philosophy and religion conflict, can there be a Jewish philosophy? What makes a Jewish thinker a philosopher? Emil L. Fackenheim confronts these questions in a profound and insightful series of essays on the great Jewish thinkers from Maimonides through Hermann Cohen, Martin Buber, Franz Rosenzweig, and Leo Strauss. Fackenheim also contemplates the task of Jewish philosophy after the Holocaust. While providing access to key Jewish thinkers of the past, this volume highlights the exciting achievements of one of today's most creative and most important Jewish philosophers.




What is Judaism?


Book Description

A presentation of both an introduction to Judaism and an analysis of its essence in the light of the Holocaust and the creation of the state of Israel, written by a contemporary American philosopher. It begins with the religious situation of the contemporary Jew, and covers topics such as anti-Semitism, Zionism, and the relationship between Judaism and other religions.




Emil L. Fackenheim


Book Description

Emil L. Fackenheim: Philosopher, Theologian, Jew is a scholarly tribute to Fackenheim’s memory. Fackenheim’s combination of erudition and generosity served to inspire a lifetime of philosophical inquiry, and a number of his students are represented in this volume. The volume, in order to provide a forum through which to introduce his thought to a broader audience, covers a wide spectrum of Fackenheim’s work including biographical, philosophical, and theological aspects of his thought that have not been addressed adequately in the past. Elie Wiesel, a close personal friend to Fackenheim for over 30 years, has provided the Foreword for the volume.




God's Presence in History


Book Description

Noted post-Holocaust philosopher Emil L. Fackenheim asks the question, "How can there be 'supernatural' incursions into 'natural' history?" In attempting to reconcile a perception of God as imminent in human affairs with the the horror of the Holocaust, this work addresses the destiny of the Jewish faith is the modern world.




Encounters Between Judaism and Modern Philosophy


Book Description

A detailed exploration of Jewish thought and how it compares with the ideas of modern philosophy.




Emil Fackenheim's Post-holocaust Thought


Book Description

Emil Fackenheim's Post-Holocaust Thought and Its Philosophical Sources engages with the philosophers who made the greatest impact on the thought of Emil Fackenheim.




Reason and Revelation before Historicism


Book Description

Can contemporary religion, and particularly Judaism, exist without being informed by history? This question was debated in 1940s New York by two German refugees who later rose to prominence — Leo Strauss, one of the twentieth century's most significant political philosophers, and Emil L. Fackenheim, an important post-Holocaust Jewish theologian. There has been little consensus, however, on the definitive meaning of their work. Reason and Revelation before Historicism, the first full-length comparison of Strauss and Fackenheim,places the informal teacher and student in conversation alongside sections of their analyses of notable thinkers. Sharon Portnoff suggests that both saw historicism as the nexus of the intersection and tension between philosophy and religion and raised the possibility of the persistence of the permanent in the modern world. Portnoff illuminates our understanding of Strauss's relationship with Judaism, Fackenheim's oft-overshadowed great philosophical depth, and the function and character of Jewish thought in a secular, post-Holocaust world.




The Jewish Return Into History


Book Description

This book is divided into three parts. The first, consisting of a single brief essay, deals with the tension created by revelation in the secular world. Part two, "The Commanding Voice of Auschwitz," develops the thought that we are forbidden to grant Hitler posthumous victories. A series of essays takes up the implications of the Holocaust for Jewish faith and life, as well as the ethical challenges, successes, and failures for both Jews and non-Jews. The final section of the book leads the reader from the events of the Holocaust to the founding of modern Israel. It shows the deep connection, in history and in faith, of these two events. A continuity of thought and theme runs through these essays, written over the last decade, that offers moving insights into our unparalleled period of Jewish history. --from inside jacket.