Abstract
This book provides a comprehensive overview of Jewish responses to Darwinian evolution, one of the most transformative and challenging ideas of the industrial age. Spanning a century of intellectual and cultural history, it examines how Jewish thinkers—traditionalists, reformers, secularists, mystics, and philosophers—grappled with the profound implications of evolutionary theory for their religious beliefs and cultural identities. The book offers close readings of key figures and debates from Europe to the United States, situating them within the broader contexts of the religion-science controversy, Jewish-Christian interfaith relations, and the intellectual challenges of modernity. A central theme is the pan(en)theistic tendency evident in Jewish thought, reflecting a vision of God as intimately connected with the evolving universe and its natural laws. It explores how Jewish thinkers reinterpreted foundational concepts such as creation, divine action, and human morality in light of Darwin’s ideas. It also considers the impact of these reinterpretations on Jewish religious practice, on understandings of religion, on ethical frameworks, and even on internal eugenic debates. This interdisciplinary work not only illuminates how Jewish thought adapted to evolutionary theory but also reveals the broader cultural and theological exchanges shaping modern Judaism. By examining these responses, the book sheds light on how science and Jewish religion have engaged in an enriching dialogue, with profound consequences for modern Jewish thought, belief and identity.
Original language | English |
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Place of Publication | Oxford |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
ISBN (Print) | 9780198967002 |
Publication status | Accepted/In press - 16 Oct 2024 |
Keywords
- Darwinism
- Judaism
- panentheism
- pantheism
- religion and science studies
- Jews
- eugenics
- Jewish-Christian relations
- Jewish history
- evolution