Jewish Thought in Dialogue

David Shatz (Ph.D. Columbia University) is Professor of Philosophy at Yeshiva University. He has authored, edited, co-edited twelve books, dealing with both Jewish and general philosophy. His books include Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and Jewish Spirituality; Judaism, Science and Moral Responsibility; Peer Review: A Critical Inquiry; and three anthologies in philosophy of the religion. His work in general philosophy focuses on the theory of knowledge, free will, and the philosophy of religion, while his work in Jewish philosophy addresses a variety of areas, most represented in this volume. He is editor of The Torah u-Madda Journal, a publication devoted to the interaction between Jewish and general culture, and editor of a book series, thus far ten volumes, that produces previously unpublished manuscripts of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. He earned his Ph.D with distinction in general philosophy from Columbia University and ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary.

• The Bible As a Source of Philosophical Reflection; Maimonides' Moral Theory; Worship, Corporeality & Human Perfection : A Reading of Guide of the Perplexed III:51-54; The Integration of Torah & Culture: Its Scope & Limits in The Thought of Rav Kook; Is Rav Kook A Model of 'Openness'?; Science & Religious Consciousness in the Thought of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik; Divine Intervention & Religious Sensibilities; From Anthropology to Metaphysics: David Hartman on Divine Intervention; Is Matter All That Matters?: Judaism, Free Will & the Genetic & Neuroscientific Revolutions; "From the Depths I Have Called to You": Jewish Reflections on September 11th & Contemporary Terrorism; Does Jewish Law Express Jewish Philosophy? : The Curious Case of Theodicies; Beyond Obedience: The Ethical Theory of Rabbi Walter Wurzburger; "As Thyself": The Limits of Altruism in Jewish Ethics; Concepts of Autonomy in Jewish Medical Ethics; The Over-examined Life is Not Worth Living.

"David Shatz is an excellent analytic philosopher who has also written extensively on Jewish philosophy. His articles do not merely contribute to understanding Jewish thinkers and thought. They also serve to broaden the philosophy of religion, making important issues and thinkers accessible and relevant to scholars working in other traditions. The essays will enhance scholarly appreciation of the philosophical dimensions of religious law, in a field that largely ignores or marginalizes law's role in religion. This collection is particularly welcome and will contribute valuably to a broader discussion." -- Wayne Proudfoot, Professor of Religion, Columbia University