Maimonides and the book that changed Judaism : secrets of The guide for the perplexed
(Book)

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Published
Philadelphia : The Jewish Publication Society ;, ©2015.
Status
Central - Adult Nonfiction
181.06 GOODM
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Central - Adult Nonfiction181.06 GOODMAvailable

Description

With his characteristic skill and insight, Micah Goodman guides us through the beauty of Jewish philosophy, uplifting us from perplexity to enlightenment.—Shimon Peres, former president of the State of Israel 

A publishing sensation long at the top of the best-seller lists in Israel, the original Hebrew edition of Maimonides and the Book That Changed Judaism has been called the most successful book ever published in Israel on the preeminent medieval Jewish thinker Moses Maimonides. The works of Maimonides, particularly The Guide for the Perplexed, are reckoned among the fundamental texts that influenced all subsequent Jewish philosophy and also proved to be highly influential in Christian and Islamic thought.

Spanning subjects ranging from God, prophecy, miracles, revelation, and evil, to politics, messianism, reason in religion, and the therapeutic role of doubt, Maimonides and the Book That Changed Judaism elucidates the complex ideas of The Guide in remarkably clear and engaging prose.

Drawing on his own experience as a central figure in the current Israeli renaissance of Jewish culture and spirituality, Micah Goodman brings Maimonides’s masterwork into dialogue with the intellectual and spiritual worlds of twenty-first-century readers. Goodman contends that in Maimonides’s view, the Torah’s purpose is not to bring clarity about God but rather to make us realize that we do not understand God at all; not to resolve inscrutable religious issues but to give us insight into the true nature and purpose of our lives.

More Details

Format
Book
Physical Desc
xxi, 274 pages ; 24 cm
Language
English
ISBN
9780827612105, 0827612109

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.

Table of Contents

Part I. God. 1. The God of Maimonides
2. Prophecy
3. Providence
4. Redemption
5. From negative theology to empowering humanity
Conclusion: The new religious hero
Part II. Torah. 6. Is the Torah divine?
7. Reasons for the commandments
8. Man and the Torah
9. The universality of the Torah
Conclusion: Rising to the level of understanding
Part III. Perplexity. 10. Contradictions
11. The creation of the world
12. Perplexity and God
13. The role of doubt
14. Halakhah and dogmatism
15. The crisis of reason
16. The crisis of tradition
17. From perplexity to mysticism and politics
18. Therapeutic perplexity
Conclusion: The purpose of life.

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Published Reviews

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this eagerly awaited English version of a popular Hebrew original, Goodman (research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel) unpacks Moses Maimonides's Guide for the Perplexed, suitable for both spiritual seekers and intellectually curious laypeople. Goodman explicates the Maimonides's views of God and prophecy, nature and evil, and humanity and leadership, revealing the didactic purpose behind the Guide's many perplexing contradictions. In addition, he addresses how to put Maimonides's more narrowly Judeocentric legal works (such as the Mishneh Torah) into the context of a more universal worldview as it appears in the Guide. Goodman's explanation of Maimonides's Guide concentrates on the most fundamental question of the Guide: what constitutes a life well-lived? Goodman considers the aim of the Guide in its original context and its impact on Judaism in previous ages, as well as its continued relevance, particularly its value to people living in a post-modernist, skeptical age. As Americans show increased interest in Jewish religion and culture in Israel, this English edition is likely to have great appeal. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

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PW Annex Reviews

In this eagerly awaited English version of a popular Hebrew original, Goodman (research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel) unpacks Moses Maimonides's Guide for the Perplexed, suitable for both spiritual seekers and intellectually curious laypeople. Goodman explicates the Maimonides's views of God and prophecy, nature and evil, and humanity and leadership, revealing the didactic purpose behind the Guide's many perplexing contradictions. In addition, he addresses how to put Maimonides's more narrowly Judeocentric legal works (such as the Mishneh Torah) into the context of a more universal worldview as it appears in the Guide. Goodman's explanation of Maimonides's Guide concentrates on the most fundamental question of the Guide: what constitutes a life well-lived? Goodman considers the aim of the Guide in its original context and its impact on Judaism in previous ages, as well as its continued relevance, particularly its value to people living in a post-modernist, skeptical age. As Americans show increased interest in Jewish religion and culture in Israel, this English edition is likely to have great appeal. (May)

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Goodman, M. (2015). Maimonides and the book that changed Judaism: secrets of The guide for the perplexed . The Jewish Publication Society ;.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Goodman, Micah. 2015. Maimonides and the Book That Changed Judaism: Secrets of The Guide for the Perplexed. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Goodman, Micah. Maimonides and the Book That Changed Judaism: Secrets of The Guide for the Perplexed Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2015.

Harvard Citation (style guide)

Goodman, M. (2015). Maimonides and the book that changed judaism: secrets of the guide for the perplexed. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Goodman, Micah. Maimonides and the Book That Changed Judaism: Secrets of The Guide for the Perplexed The Jewish Publication Society ;, 2015.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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