Orthodox Forum Series – serie

Do human beings have free will? Are they genuinely responsible for their actions? These questions have persisted all through the history of philosophy, but in the 21st century they have become defined more sharply and clearly than ever. Indeed, a vivid and mighty tension underlies today's intellectual struggles over free will. On the one hand, the rapid advances of several empirical disciplines, notably neuropsychology and genetics, threaten our instinctive affirmation that free will and moral responsibility exist. On the other hand, the depth and force of our instincts-our powerful intuition that there is free will, that there is moral responsibility-present, for most people, an almost impenetrable barrier against the sweeping denial of free will suggested by empirical research. The papers in this volume address this tension from a dual vantage point. While drawing heavily upon traditional Jewish texts and teachings, they also offer a blend of scientific, philosophical, psychological, and social insights into this most mystifying of topics. In addition, they illuminate the concept of repentance, a transformation of character that ranks in much of Jewish literature as the highest expression of free will.

Do human beings have free will? Are they genuinely responsible for their actions? These questions have persisted all through the history of philosophy, but in the 21st century they have become defined more sharply and clearly than ever. Indeed, a vivid and mighty tension underlies today's intellectual struggles over free will. On the one hand, the rapid advances of several empirical disciplines, notably neuropsychology and genetics, threaten our instinctive affirmation that free will and moral responsibility exist. On the other hand, the depth and force of our instincts-our powerful intuition that there is free will, that there is moral responsibility-present, for most people, an almost impenetrable barrier against the sweeping denial of free will suggested by empirical research. The papers in this volume address this tension from a dual vantage point. While drawing heavily upon traditional Jewish texts and teachings, they also offer a blend of scientific, philosophical, psychological, and social insights into this most mystifying of topics. In addition, they illuminate the concept of repentance, a transformation of character that ranks in much of Jewish literature as the highest expression of free will.

At first glance, Orthodox Judaism is not compatible with the prevailing world view of equal treatment for all people, regardless of their race, gender or religion. But modern Orthodox Jews share the sense that egalitarianism is a positive moral value, so they cannot simply dismiss this contemporary ethos as incompatible with their faith. In a range of ways and variety of perspectives from the leading Orthodox scholars in the field, this collection of essays explores the affinities and disaffinities between egalitarianism and Jewish tradition.

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This volume is the latest addition to the ongoing 'Orthodox Forum Series'. This collection ofessays is devoted to exploring three related issues that have received public attention following the assassination of Prim Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The first of these topics is the strengths and weaknesses of democracy, the second is tolerance toward others, and the third is the legitimacy of dissent.

Another addition to the "Orthodox Forum Series", this book is a collection of papers from the Second Orthodox Forum in New York and provides compelling insight into the minds of highly respected scholars in the Orthodox Rabbinate. Two of the papers include a brief account of non-observance and the Rabbinic view throughout Jewish history. The Orthodox Forum, convened by Dr. Norman Lamm, President of Yeshiva University, meets each year to consider major issues of concern to the Jewish community. Forum participants from throughout the world, including academicians in both Jewish and secular fields, rabbis, rashei yeshivah, Jewish educators, and Jewish communal professionals, gather in conference as a think tank to discuss and critique each other's original papers, examining different aspects of a central theme. The purpose of the Forum is to create and disseminate a new and vibrant Torah literature addressing the critical issues facing Jewry today.

From the Preface:"The principal thrust of this book is to challenge the compartmentalization to which we seem all too easily resigned, to discover whether, and to what extent, the methods of modern scholarship can become part and parcel of the study of Torah, conceived as a religious-intellectual way of life. Not ''Modern Scholarship and the Study of Torah,'' but ''Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah."

To learn more about Rowman & Littlefield titles please visit us at www.rowmanlittlefield.com.

To find more information about Rowman & Littlefield titles please visit us at www.rowmanlittlefield.com.

From the Preface:"The principal thrust of this book is to challenge the compartmentalization to which we seem all too easily resigned, to discover whether, and to what extent, the methods of modern scholarship can become part and parcel of the study of Torah, conceived as a religious-intellectual way of life. Not 'Modern Scholarship and the Study of Torah,' but 'Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah."

This collection of essays seeks to understand the tension between contemporary and traditional elements in the thought, practices, and life of Modern Orthodox Jewry. Together, they are a fascinating study of the balance that occurs between modernity and traditionalism, whereby faith and practice emerge from the encounter adapted but not wholly transformed.