In this Book
- Moses Mendelssohn's Living Script: Philosophy, Practice, History, Judaism
- Book
- 2016
- Published by: Indiana University Press
Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786) is often described as the founder of modern Jewish thought and as a leading philosopher of the late Enlightenment. One of Mendelssohn's main concerns was how to conceive of the relationship between Judaism, philosophy, and the civic life of a modern state. Elias Sacks explores Mendelssohn's landmark account of Jewish practice—Judaism's "living script," to use his famous phrase—to present a broader reading of Mendelssohn's writings and extend inquiry into conversations about modernity and religion. By studying Mendelssohn's thought in these dimensions, Sacks suggests that he shows a deep concern with history. Sacks affords a view of a foundational moment in Jewish modernity and forwards new ways of thinking about ritual practice, the development of traditions, and the role of religion in society.
Table of Contents
- Title Page, Copyright Page
- pp. i-vi
- Translations and Abbreviations
- pp. ix-xii
- Acknowledgments
- pp. xiii-xviii
- Introduction
- pp. 1-21
- Bibliography
- pp. 295-308