M. Goldish – författare

Recent scholarship on Sir Isaac Newton's non-scientific studies years has created a framework for deeper investigations into particular areas of his thought. In this volume, the author attempts to understand how Newton learned about the history and literature of the Jews, and how he integrated his findings into his unique historical theology. Newton, who probably never met a Jew, nevertheless invested heavily in Jewish studies, which left their mark on all areas of Newtonian theology: the investigations of early religion, scriptural prophecy, Trinitarianism, the early church, and the corruption of primitive Christianity. In the course of this study, important aspects of Newton's thought are clarified, such as his relationship with the Church of England, his understanding of biblical authority, and his euhemerism. Not only Newton specialists, but all those interested in the early-Enlightenment universe of Newtonian thought, or in the impact of Hebraic studies on Western ideas, should find this text of interest.

The earliest scientific studies of Jewish messianism were conducted by the scholars of the Wissenschaft des Judentums school, particularly Heinrich Graetz, the first great Jewish historian of the Jews since Josephus. These researches were invaluable because they utilized primary sources in print and manuscript which had been previously unknown or used only in polemics. The Wissenschaft studies themselves, however, prove to be polemics as well on closer inspection. Among the goals of this group was to demonstrate that Judaism is a rational and logical faith whose legitimacy and historical progress deserve recognition by the nations of Europe. Mystical and messianic beliefs which might undermine this image were presented as aberrations or the result of corrosive foreign influences on the Jews. Gershom Scholem took upon himself the task of returning mysticism and messianism to their rightful central place in the panorama of Jewish thought. Jewish messianism was, for Scholem, a central theme in the philosophy and life of the Jews throughout their history, shaped anew by each generation to fit its specific hopes and needs. Scholem emphasized that this phenomenon was essentially independent of messianic or millenarian trends among other peoples. For example, in discussing messianism in the early modern era Scholem describes a trunk of influence on the Jewish psyche set off by the expulsion from Spain in 1492.

This book deals with Sir Isaac Newton's Judaic studies and their impact on his theology. After examining what Jewish sources Newton read, the author explains how ideas Newton learned from Jewish history and literature found their way into his understanding of ancient religion, scriptural prophecy, the Temple of Jerusalem, the ancient church, and the corruption of Christianity. This investigation sheds new light on many aspects of newton's thought.

The earliest scientific studies of Jewish messianism were conducted by the scholars of the Wissenschaft des Judentums school, particularly Heinrich Graetz, the first great Jewish historian of the Jews since Josephus. These researches were invaluable because they utilized primary sources in print and manuscript which had been previously unknown or used only in polemics. The Wissenschaft studies themselves, however, prove to be polemics as well on closer inspection. Among the goals of this group was to demonstrate that Judaism is a rational and logical faith whose legitimacy and historical progress deserve recognition by the nations of Europe. Mystical and messianic beliefs which might undermine this image were presented as aberrations or the result of corrosive foreign influences on the Jews. Gershom Scholem took upon himself the task of returning mysticism and messianism to their rightful central place in the panorama of Jewish thought. Jewish messianism was, for Scholem, a central theme in the philosophy and life of the Jews throughout their history, shaped anew by each generation to fit its specific hopes and needs. Scholem emphasized that this phenomenon was essentially independent of messianic or millenarian trends among other peoples. For example, in discussing messianism in the early modern era Scholem describes a trunk of influence on the Jewish psyche set off by the expulsion from Spain in 1492.

This book is based on my doctoral dissertation from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1996) of the same title. As a master''s student, working on an entirely different project, I was well aware that many of Newton''s theological manuscripts were located in our own Jewish National and University Library, but I was under the mistaken assumption that scores of highly qualified scholars must be assiduously scouring them and publishing their results. It never occurred to me to look at them at all until, having fmished my master''s, I spoke to Professor David Katz at Tel-Aviv University about an idea I had for doctoral research. Professor Katz informed me that the project I had suggested was one which he himself had just fmished, but that I might be interested in working on the famous Newton manuscripts in the context of a project being organized by him, Richard Popkin, James Force, and the late Betty Jo Teeter Dobbs, to study and publish Newton''s theological material. I asked him whether he was not sending me into the shark-infested waters of highly competitive scholarship, and learned that in fact there were only a handful of scholars in the world who actively studied and published on Newton''s theology. At the time the group consisted mainly of Popkin, Force, Dobbs, Frank Manuel, Kenneth Knoespel, and David Castillejo.