2021-2022 Lecture Series
This year's first lecture in the series, "Recent Scholarship in Jewish-Christian Dialogue" will be held on Thursday November 25, 2021 at 20:00 via Zoom. The lecture title is, “We are ALL not Alone.”
Lecturer: Professor Menahem Kellner
Chair of the Philosophy and Jewish Thought Department at Shalem College
Response: Professor Raphael Jospe
Professor for Jewish Philosophy, ret. from Ariel University
This lecture will bring to our audience a current dialogue between two Jewish friends about how Jews should relate to non-Jews in general and Christians in particular.
Menahem Kellner is Chair of Shalem College, Jerusalem's Department of Jewish thought and Philosophy and Emeritus Wolfson Professor of Jewish Thought at the University of Haifa. The latest of his numerous books bears the title We Are Not Alone - A Maimonidean Theology of the Other (Academic Studies Press, 2021). He states plainly in the preface to the book: "A reader content with the Judaism ordinarily presented these days in most traditionalist Jewish circles should not read this book – she or he will not like it one bit. However, a reader who wishes to remain within the traditionalist Jewish world – widely or narrowly construed – and who also affirms that all humans are fully created in the image of God, and have intrinsic worth in God’s eyes, will find a measure of support for her or his views.” In discussing such matters as Chosen People, converts to Judaism, tolerance and Christianity, he has constant recourse to Maimonides. As he says: “I hope to show that a modified Maimonideanism provides a warrant for the Judaism expressed in these pages… I do not for a moment pretend that the historical Maimonides would be happy with all the conclusions which I reach. However, I would like to think that were he among us today, and knew what we know today, he would be willing to sign off on many of my conclusions.”
Raphael Jospe retired last year after 50 years of teaching; most recently as Professor of Jewish Philosophy at Ariel University, having taught previously at Hebrew University, Bar-Ilan University and the Open University. Likewise, he has published numerous books and articles in the field. This month, he published a 16-page review article of Prof. Kellner’s book in the journal Jewish-Christian Relations, finding much to appreciate in it. But he added: “… one point of significant theoretical disagreement between us… regards religious pluralism, a position I maintain and about which I have written, and which Kellner rejects (and has responded to some of what I’ve written).”
Evidently, this is a live, continuing conversation between two old friends about a matter that interests us all. So we have asked Prof. Kellner to present his book to us and Prof. Jospe to respond, after which the floor will be open to reactions. Those who have time for some homework are welcome to look up these two links:
https://www.academia.edu/48902203/We_Are_Not_Alone_A_Maimonidean_Theology_of_the_Other_Sampler_
https://www.jcrelations.net/book-reviews/review/we-are-not-alone-a-maimonidean-theology-of-the-other-review-essay.html
To register for this lecture click HERE.
To download the invitation click HERE.
To download the poster click HERE.
Lecturer: Professor Menahem Kellner
Chair of the Philosophy and Jewish Thought Department at Shalem College
Response: Professor Raphael Jospe
Professor for Jewish Philosophy, ret. from Ariel University
This lecture will bring to our audience a current dialogue between two Jewish friends about how Jews should relate to non-Jews in general and Christians in particular.
Menahem Kellner is Chair of Shalem College, Jerusalem's Department of Jewish thought and Philosophy and Emeritus Wolfson Professor of Jewish Thought at the University of Haifa. The latest of his numerous books bears the title We Are Not Alone - A Maimonidean Theology of the Other (Academic Studies Press, 2021). He states plainly in the preface to the book: "A reader content with the Judaism ordinarily presented these days in most traditionalist Jewish circles should not read this book – she or he will not like it one bit. However, a reader who wishes to remain within the traditionalist Jewish world – widely or narrowly construed – and who also affirms that all humans are fully created in the image of God, and have intrinsic worth in God’s eyes, will find a measure of support for her or his views.” In discussing such matters as Chosen People, converts to Judaism, tolerance and Christianity, he has constant recourse to Maimonides. As he says: “I hope to show that a modified Maimonideanism provides a warrant for the Judaism expressed in these pages… I do not for a moment pretend that the historical Maimonides would be happy with all the conclusions which I reach. However, I would like to think that were he among us today, and knew what we know today, he would be willing to sign off on many of my conclusions.”
Raphael Jospe retired last year after 50 years of teaching; most recently as Professor of Jewish Philosophy at Ariel University, having taught previously at Hebrew University, Bar-Ilan University and the Open University. Likewise, he has published numerous books and articles in the field. This month, he published a 16-page review article of Prof. Kellner’s book in the journal Jewish-Christian Relations, finding much to appreciate in it. But he added: “… one point of significant theoretical disagreement between us… regards religious pluralism, a position I maintain and about which I have written, and which Kellner rejects (and has responded to some of what I’ve written).”
Evidently, this is a live, continuing conversation between two old friends about a matter that interests us all. So we have asked Prof. Kellner to present his book to us and Prof. Jospe to respond, after which the floor will be open to reactions. Those who have time for some homework are welcome to look up these two links:
https://www.academia.edu/48902203/We_Are_Not_Alone_A_Maimonidean_Theology_of_the_Other_Sampler_
https://www.jcrelations.net/book-reviews/review/we-are-not-alone-a-maimonidean-theology-of-the-other-review-essay.html
To register for this lecture click HERE.
To download the invitation click HERE.
To download the poster click HERE.
