Product Description

This volume presents a wide-ranging, extremely diverse, selection of Jewish theological responses to the Holocaust. It is the most complete anthology of its kind, bringing together for the first time a large sample of ultra-orthodox sources produced during the war and just after its end, translated from the Hebrew and Yiddish; a substantial selection of essays, originally written in Hebrew, by Israeli thinkers; and a broad sampling of works by American and European philosophers and theologians. These diverse selections represent virtually every significant theological position that has been articulated by a Jewish thinker in response to the Holocaust.
The essays deal with the many fundamental questions that arise from reflection on the genocidal assault on the Jews by the Nazi State and its collaborators. For example: Can one quantify good and evil? Does the Holocaust disconfirm Judaisms basic theological claims? Does the rebirth of the State of Israel reconfirm traditional theological claims? Is Jewish history in any way singular? Is the Holocaust unique? If so, what is the theological meaning, if any, of this uniqueness? What does it mean to speak of Divine Providence and Gods intervention in human affairs? What is revelation? What is covenant? What does the problem of evil say about limits to Gods character and attributes? Is the reborn State of Israel Gods compensation for the death camps?

Each of the three sections of the book is prefaced by a substantial introduction that contextualizes the material reproduced and explains what is distinctive about it. In addition, introductions to individual authors and selected bibliographies are also provided.

his comprehensive volume is an invaluable resource for scholars and students of Jewish studies, theology, and the Holocaust.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #330889 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 704 pages

Review
Wrestling with God provides an excellent introduction to the wide range of Jewish theological responses during and after the Holocaust, and its tripartite structure gives a representstive sample of writers, as well as a solid introduction to the distinctive preoccupations of ultra-Orthodox responses, Israeli responses and European / American responses...Highly recommended. Isabel Wollaston, Journal of Jewish Studies As close as it comes to an all-purpose anthology on Holocaust and post-Holocaust theology, Wrestling with God provides readings readings from across the full spectrum of Jewish religious thought. Zachary Braiterman Journal of the American Academy of Religion

About the Author

Steven T. Katz is Professor of Judaic Studies at Boston Univeristy. Shlomo Biderman is Professor of Philosophy at Tel Aviv University. Gershon Greenberg is Professor of Religion and Philosophy at American University