Bücher der Reihe Emunot: Jewish Philosophy and

Moses Maimonides-a proud heir to the Andalusian tradition of Aristotelian philosophy-crafted a bold and original philosophical interpretation of Torah and Judaism. His son Abraham Maimonides is a fascinating maverick whose Torah commentary mediates between the philosophical interpretations of his father, the contextual approach of Biblical exegetes such as Saadya, and the Sufi-flavored illuminative mysticism of his Egyptian Pietist circle. This pioneering study explores the intersecting approaches of Moses and Abraham Maimonides to the spark of divine illumination and revelation of the divine name Ehyeh asher Ehyeh, "e;I am that I am / I will be who I will be."e;

This book is the first comprehensive research project on the encounter of music and Judaism in the theological and philosophical realms, tracing the historical evolution of the music motif in Jewish thought.

A sequel to Gellman's trilogy with Academic Studies Press of constructive Jewish theology, this book presents a new concept of the Jews as God's Chosen People; a reply to an argument for the reliability of Torah history; and provides an approach to the problem of evil for troubled believers and want to be believers, without trying to solve the problem.

R. Saadia Gaon (882-942) was unquestionably one of the most important if not the most important medieval Jewish thinker. He dealt with biblical exegesis, philosophy, grammar, poetry, prayer, and Halakha, and in many of these fields he is considered an innovator and a trailblazer, paving new paths for his followers. Many of the sages who lived after him cited from his writings. He served as head of the Academy of Sura, Babylon, but the impact of his works was felt in all generations who lived and followed. This study seeks to describe and analyze R. Saadia Gaon's life, his public enterprise, his works, and his influence on the generations after him.

This broad-ranging study, the first full-length investigation of conceptions of faith and trust in the Judeo-Arabic tradition, explores a family of related concepts?faith (iman, emunah), conviction (i'tiqād), and trust/reliance (tawakkul/ittikal)?in Saadya, Ba?ya, Halevi, Maimonides, Abraham Maimonides, and the Egyptian pietist circle of Abraham he-?asid. The work points to a rich spectrum of conceptions of faith and trust?from the purely cognitive to the experiential and affective. What emerges are themes of faithfulness, loyalty, experiential certainty, and trustworthiness, expressed in devotion to a way of life that embodies these ideals. The virtue of trust expresses steadfast commitment to the truth.This study vividly illustrates the ?Jewish-Arab symbiosis,? highlighting the shared spiritual language and rich, intertwined worlds of Islamic and Jewish philosophy, theology, and mysticism.

Israel and the Nations: The Bible, The Rabbis, and Jewish-Gentile Relations explores the theological and legal (halakhic) aspects of Jewish thought relating to non-Jews. It analyzes biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and contemporary Jewish writings about gentiles and their religions. The book will interest both Jewish laypersons familiar with Jewish tradition as well as scholars of theology and interfaith relations