Rethinking Jewish Theology

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This is quite a difficult paper to review because it falls between a number of different sub-disciplines and those different sub-disciplines are associated with quite different styles of writing, and other subtle differences of academic norms - the sub-disciplines here being Jewish studies, theology, intellectual history, analytic philosophy, and continental philosophy. Coming from the analytic tradition, there are many paragraphs in this paper that I would think should be expanded into entire papers, but that's only because the panoramic vision that the author hopes to animate is so rich and pregnant with significance and so many potential corollary projects, and those very properties, I think, would be positively embraced by scholars in the continental tradition.

Putting all of this together, my final verdict would be to advise publication as is, because the scholarship is so distinctive in bridging so many disciplines, and it is so interesting to see a scholar grappling simultaneously with so many issues, in his trying to articulate a grand vision, that any criticisms I might raise, or edits I might ask for would seem petty.

It is true that the philosophy of Judaism is potentially on the threshold of a new and exciting age in which analytic philosophy is brought into the conversation. What's so interesting about this paper is that someone clearly brought up in the continental tradition can use the tools and concepts of that tradition in order to carve out space for the analytic philosophy of Judaism to flourish alongside other approaches.

Author Response

Thank you so, so much for your kind comments on my essay. I feel humbled, honoured and grateful.

Reviewer 2 Report

This article is a very interesting paper on Jewish Theology. The author draws on his extensive knowledge of Jewish sources and his adeptness in modern and post-modern philosophy to make an original argument about a particular kind of Jewish theology. His familiarity with the sources is evident, and the argument is original; 

The quality of an article is further evidenced by the respect it has garnered from scholars who do not agree with its main assertion. I must note that I completely disagree with the author's opinion on his main argument. This is likely due to our differing views on the veracity of post-modern arguments about knowledge, the validity of analytic philosophy, and the significance of Hasidic texts in relation to the true essence of Judaism. Despite our disagreement on these matters, the article is of a high-caliber.

Author Response

Thank you very much for your critical reading of my essay. I feel deeply touched by such a positive review.