Will Herberg (1901–1977)

The author states his purpose in his no-nonsense Preface: To present representative selections from the writings of "four of the most significant religious thinkers of our time"--Jacques Maritain, Nicolas Berdyaev, Martin Buber, and Paul Tillich. Also supplies a robust Introduction which explains that the connection between his subjects -- why they belong together -- is that they profoundly influence each other. He includes Bibliographies.

I was surprised by his bold Preface: "Much of the best creative thinking these days is being done in theology and religious philosophy." He hopes to reveal the sources of this thinking and "its relevance to the problems and perplexities of our time." [viii] He writes without irony about the "creative" thinking done by brilliant minds caught in up in the "desire to see God" (Maritain), the necessity of universal salvation under the lens of sex (Berdyaev), the suspension of dialogue and ethics (Buber), and the ontological problems of a biblical religion (Tillich).… (more)

NO OF PAGES: 313 SUB CAT I: Philosophy SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: This book has changed the spiritual awareness of countless readers. Written by one of the twentieth century's greatest theologians, "Judaism and Modern Man" explores the ways in which the Jewish religion relates to our society, and to us as individuals, and how we can draw this knowledge into our everyday lives. Herberg discusses the distinctive qualities of our relationships with the world today-relationships between God, ourselves, and our peers; between the individual and society; between religion and society-and traces our spiritual threads that connect us to this age of modernity. In a time when we sometimes need to look closely to find our ties to spirituality, this classic work, originally published in 1951, helps contemporary readers understand Judaism's place in today's world.NOTES: Purchased at Half Price Books SUBTITLE: An Interpretation of Jewish Religion… (more)