Judaism and the Doctrine of Creation [Paperback]

A unique synthesis of religious belief and philosophy which puts an entirely new complexion on creation.A discussion of what the doctrine of creation can mean to anyone who takes seriously the teachings of the classic rabbis, ancient and modern philosophers, and contemporary scientists. It comprises a unique synthesis of religious belief and philosophical speculation.A discussion of what the doctrine of creation can mean to anyone who takes seriously the teachings of the classic rabbis, ancient and modern philosophers, and contemporary scientists. It comprises a unique synthesis of religious belief and philosophical speculation.The topic of this book is creation. It breaks down into discussions of two distinct but interrelated questions: What does the universe look like, and what is its origin? Texts considered come from the Hebrew scriptures, Greek philosophy, Jewish philosophy, and contemporary physics. Original conclusions follow about a diversity of topics, including the limits of human reason and religious faith, the relevance of scientific models to religious doctrine, and the nature of the relationship between God and the universe.Preface; Introduction; Part I. The Modern Dogma of Creation: 1. Creation in Franz Rosenzweig's Star of Redemption; 2. A critique of Rosenzweig's doctrine: is it Jewish and is it believable?; Part II. A Jewish View of Creation: 3. Classical Jewish philosophy; 4. Classical rabbinic commentaries; Part III. The Foundations for the Jewish View of Creation: 5. The account of creation in Genesis; 6. The account of the origin in Plato's Timaeus; Part IV. A Believable View of Creation: 7. Creation from the perspective of contemporary physics; 8. Creation from the perspective of contemporary philosophy; Notes; Select bibliography; Indices. The modern dialogue/conflict between religion and science has been almost exclusively the realm of Protestants and Catholics. Samuelson....provides an impressive overview of key Jewish authors--ancient, mlƒ&