Jewish Themes in Spinoza's Philosophy

Heidi M. Ravven is Professor of Religious Studies at Hamilton College. Lenn E. Goodman is Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of many books, including Jewish and Islamic Philosophy: Crosspollinations in the Classic Age, and the editor of Neoplatonism and Jewish Thought, also from SUNY Press.

"This is the first serious attempt to offer a sophisticated look at Spinoza's relationship to Jewish philosophy and religion. It is an excellent collection of essays, and absolutely central to understanding Spinoza and his place in the history of Jewish philosophy." — Steven Nadler, author of Spinoza: A Life"Without imposing upon themselves or Spinoza a single definition of Judaism or 'Judeity,' the authors manage to refresh inquiry in three fields: the history of European thought, premodern Jewish intellectual history, and the scope of Jewish culture in postmodernity." — Kalman P. Bland, author of The Artless Jew: Medieval and Modern Affirmations and Denials of the Visual

• Abbreviations Part I. Laying the Groundwork 1. IntroductionHeidi M. Ravven and Lenn E. Goodman 2. What Does Spinoza's Ethics Contribute to Jewish Philosophy? Lenn E. Goodman Part II. Metaphysics 3. Love of God in Spinoza Lee C. Rice 4. Spinoza's Metaphysical Hebraism or Hebraic Metaphysics Warren Zev Harvey 5. Maimonides, Spinoza, and the Problem of Creation Kenneth Seeskin 6. "That Hebrew Word": Spinoza and the Doctrine of the Shekhinah Warren Montag Part III. Theology and Epistemology 7. Maimonides, Spinoza, and the Book of Job Edwin M. Curley 8. Spinoza's Rupture with Tradition—His Hints of a Jewish Modernity Heidi M. Ravven 9. Why Spinoza Chose the Hebrews: The Exemplary Function of Prophecy in the Theological-Political TreatiseMichael A. Rosenthal Part IV. The Historical Setting 10. Spinoza's Excommunication Richard H. Popkin About the Contributors Index