Gersonides on Providence, Covenant, and the Chosen People
A Study in Medieval Jewish Philosophy and Biblical Commentary
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This is a careful examination of the doctrine of Jewish chosenness in the light of Gersonides's thought on providential suffering and on inherited providence. Gersonides is one of the most interesting and important philosophers of the later Jewish Middle Ages.
Description
Gersonides was one of the intellectual giants of the medieval Jewish world, a thinker of remarkable diversity and ingenuity. In the light of Gersonides' thought on providential suffering and on inherited providence, this book analyzes his position on one of the cardinal principles of Judaism: the concept of the Chosen People.
Robert Eisen is Assistant Professor of Religion and Judaic Studies at George Washington University.
Reviews
"The book is a sober and careful examination of an important issue in Jewish thought: the doctrine of the chosen people. It advances the field of Gersonides' studies; it is the first in-depth treatment of Gersonides' biblical commentaries. " — Charles H. Manekin, University of Maryland
"It is an important study of a completely original sort. It is a pioneering work, not only in the specific topic which it treats, but especially in its bringing together the philosophical and exegetical works of one of the most important philosophers of the later Jewish Middle Ages. In so doing, it opens up a major area of study that has been seriously neglected. In the case of Gersonides, as with other medieval Jewish thinkers, there is a tendency to treat the exegetical works as having no philosophical value or interest. This book establishes the philosophical importance of the exegetical works and shows that they are of critical value for an understanding of the philosophy of Gersonides. " — Marvin Fox, Brandeis University