The Election of Israel The Idea of the Chosen People [Hardcover]

This controversial investigation of the doctrine of Israel's election casts new light on Jewish modernity.The view of themselves as the chosen people of God has been maintained by Jews from the beginnings of their history to the present. The author explores the development of this idea in Jewish theology and law, and essays a contemporary retrieval of the classical doctrine of election. Through an examination of the philosophical implications of the idea, he argues for the correlation of election and revelation, and shows both what the notion of election should mean for Jews today, and how non-Jews can better understand it.The view of themselves as the chosen people of God has been maintained by Jews from the beginnings of their history to the present. The author explores the development of this idea in Jewish theology and law, and essays a contemporary retrieval of the classical doctrine of election. Through an examination of the philosophical implications of the idea, he argues for the correlation of election and revelation, and shows both what the notion of election should mean for Jews today, and how non-Jews can better understand it.The view of themselves as the chosen people of God has been maintained by Jews from the beginnings of their history to the present. The author explores the development of this idea in Jewish theology and law, and essays a contemporary retrieval of the classical doctrine of election. Through an examination of the philosophical implications of the idea, he argues for the correlation of election and revelation, and shows both what the notion of election should mean for Jews today, and how non-Jews can better understand it.Preface; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Spinoza and his challenge; 2. Hermann Cohen's concept of election; 3. Franz Rosenzweig's return to the doctrine; 4. The retrieval of the biblical doctrine; 5. The rabbinic development of the doctrine; 6. Two medieval views of election; Conclusion; Appendices; BibliograplC-