audiobook The Civil War at Sea by Craig L. Symonds in History

Description

Over four decades ago; the pre-eminent Jewish theologian; Abraham Joshua Heschel; warned of a "second Holocaust" - a spiritual genocide against Judaism that American Jews were perpetrating on themselves. By engaging in assimilation and secularization; he argued; Jews were losing their religious identity and; through it; their identity as a people. In Faith Finding Meaning; Byron L. Sherwin makes the case for a return to Jewish theology as a foundation for restoring Jewish authenticity and for reversing self-destructive assimilationist trends.Rather than focusing on the abstract theological concepts presented by Judaism; such as the existence and nature of God; Sherwin shifts the center of the discussion to the quest for individual meaning. As more Jews seek to affirm Judaism as a faith; they are increasingly asking two questions: What is Judaism? How does Judaism address my quest for meaning? This volume constructs a portrait of the Jewish faith that is deeply rooted in both classical and modern sources of Jewish thought. Jewish theological thinking can be understood as a response to such visceral existential issues as living in a covenantal relationship; finding God in the world; approaching sacred scripture; and committing ethical deeds. Finding this sort of individual meaning through Jewish theology is; Sherwin argues; the viable path by which Jews in the contemporary world can maintain identity amid assimilation. Faith Finding Meaning will engage anyone seeking a refreshing new approach to interpreting Jewish theology and a guide for faithful living as the Jewish people move into the future.