Searching for a Distant God: The Legacy of Maimonides (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780195128468)

Monotheism is usually considered Judaism's greatest contribution to world culture, but it is far from clear what monotheism is. This work examines the notion that monotheism is not so much a claim about the number of God as a claim about the nature of God. Seeskin argues that the idea of a God who is separate from his creation and unique is not just an abstraction but a suitable basis for worship. He examines this conclusion in the contexts of prayer, creation, sabbath observance, repentance, religious freedom, and love of God. Maimonides plays a central role in the argument both because of his importance to Jewish self-understanding and because he deals with the question of how philosophic ideas are embodied in religious ritual.

Author: Kenneth Seeskin
ISBN-10: 019512846X
ISBN-13: 9780195128468
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Language: English
Published: 01/13/2000
Pages: 264
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.24lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.75d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 10/01/2000 pg. 344