We Are Not Alone: A Maimonidean Theology of the Other
Categories: Books, Religion & Spirituality, Judaism



Dimensions: 6.14 x 0.5 x 9.21 inches
ISBN-13: 978-1644696132
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1644696134
Publisher: Academic Studies Press
Print length: 212 pages
Publication date: July 13, 2021
subtitle: Hardcover – July 13, 2021
author: Menachem Kellner
review: Editorial Reviews Review "Menachem Kellner has made yet another important contribution to Jewish thought not just in terms of content but also in terms of method. He readily acknowledges that the Jewish tradition speaks with many voices. He recognizes that ample precedent can be found both for the universalism he champions, on the one hand, and for more particularistic … readings of the tradition, on the other. To his credit, Kellner is aware that constructing a worldview out of the sources of Judaism (or of any other religious tradition) inevitably involves some picking and choosing. This has always been the case, but modernity invites us to be self-conscious about it―Kellner accepts that invitation.” – Shai Held, The Jewish Review of Books 13, no. 2 (Summer 2022) " We Are Not Alone is, like all of Kellner’s writings, admirably clear and engaging. Moreover, while being well-argued, it is also very passionate… [T]his makes for a powerful blend, with Kellner deploying his scholarship to make a case that is simultaneously textually grounded and deeply heartfelt regarding the desired ethos and direction of contemporary Orthodoxy… One hopes… that Kellner’s works will radiate ever outwards, beyond his natural constituency, to encompass those in the Orthodox world who would gain breadth, depth, and nuance in their understanding of some fundamental aspects of Judaism by encountering his writing. Meanwhile, rootedness in the particular texts and traditions of Judaism together with compassionate universalism remains an all-too-rare combination in today’s Orthodox world. This book, like Kellner’s many others, provides strength and support for those convinced that the noblest stance for Orthodoxy is one that reaches out from a non-negotiable matrix of halakhic fidelity and proud particularity to embrace all those created in the image of God.” – Michael J. Harris, Senior Rabbi of the Hampstead Synagogue; Visiting Research Fellow, Jewish Studies Program, Central European University; Senior Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies, Tradition “Rambam’s universalism, then – certainly as understood by Kellner – leads to an appreciation of and respect for “the other” (i.e., the non-Jew) as fully human, whereas the particularism of the mystical tradition can, all too often, lead to a denigration of others as less than fully human. The practical dangers of such theoretical particularism are all too real and present in our times, and Kellner sees Rambam’s universalism as necessary in our world of increasing intolerance (including on the part of some Jews) and strife. Assuming that Kellner’s understanding of Rambam is correct – and I believe it largely is… such universalism has urgent moral as well as purely academic implications. That lesson, which is at least implicit in his earlier studies of Rambam, has now become the explicit agenda of We Are Not Alone: A Maimonidean Theology of the Other … [T]he book can and should be read and studied carefully not only by those with an academic interest in Jewish philosophy in general, and Rambam in particular, but by Jews and non-Jews alike who share the concern that religious exclusive truth claims (and not just “tribalism”) have so often led, and in our day still frequently lead to intolerance, to discrimination against others perceived to be heretics, unbelievers, and not fully human, and to disastrous wars and destruction. Rambam, in Kellner’s clear and consistent presentation, provides an important example of how one can affirm truth claims without such theological and moral perversions, and is thus a necessary antidote to these all too prevalent religious maladies… Kellner writes in a remarkably clear, non-technical, and occasionally informal style, accessible to all, a huge advantage in a book, while in many respects certainly academic, which is intended for a broader readership.” ―Raphael Jospe, Author, Torah and Sophia: The Life and Thought of Shem Tov ibn Falaquera ; Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages ; and What is Jewish Philosophy? , Jewish-Christian Relations “Dr. Menachem Kellner offers a perceptive and highly important discussion of Maimonides' views of the ‘other.’ But the book is not only about Maimonides: it is about us! It is about all thinking Jews who believe in the truth of Judaism while also making room for the legitimate spiritual aspirations of non-Jews. Dr. Kellner is a foremost expositor of Maimonidean thought; he is a deep thinker, an extraordinary scholar, a gifted writer―a humane individual who is both unique and universal.” ―Rabbi Dr. Marc D. Angel, Director, Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals “It was Maimonides who taught: ‘A man should never cast his reason behind him, for the eyes are set in front, not in the back.’ In We Are Not Alone it is Menachem Kellner who opens our eyes, front and center, to the reason, thought and rationalism of Maimonides which is so important in our day and age. While there are schools that still focus on Maimonides’ ‘laws,’ Prof. Kellner makes a case that Maimonides’ ‘thinking’ is even more important in the twenty-first century. Jews, Christians, Muslims, converts, Chosen People, pluralism, interfaith relations, and so forth―Maimonides’ thought on all this and more is presented by Kellner with ‘reason’ always in front of him. A ‘giant’ of Maimodean scholarship, Prof. Kellner is to be applauded for again enabling all of us, scholars and lay people alike, to understand how Maimonides spoke to the past, present and future … our future!” ―Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg, Beth Tfiloh Congregation “We Are Not Alone: A Maimonidean Theology of the Other is a book that needed to be written. Professor Menachem Kellner, one of this generation’s foremost authorities on Maimonides, compellingly interprets the writings of that venerable twelfth century sage in support of a style of faith that refuses to diminish the humanity or spiritual worth of the ‘other.’ For anyone who feels weighed down by what they regard as the narrow-minded parochialism of their faith community, this book is a welcome relief as it provides the intellectual foundation for a more tolerant alternative. Writing in very personal terms, Kellner thinks it is possible to maintain a strong attachment to one’s religious heritage without demonizing those who worship differently. Some fundamentalists will reject Kellner’s premises and conclusions, but that is all the more reason why his ideas deserve wider circulation.” ―Rabbi Evan Hoffman, Congregation Anshe Sholom, New Rochelle, NY “Menachem Kellner’s latest book is an important addition to contemporary re-readings of Maimonides, using the Eagle of Cordoba as a model for constructive theology. Based on a lifetime of academic research in medieval Jewish philosophy, this volume is a pointed and passionate polemic by Kellner against the particularistic theology of Yehudah Halevi―which sees Jews as inherently different from and superior to Gentiles―tracing its historic development and showing its widespread expression in contemporary Jewish thought and life. In forcefully rejecting the ethnic and theological supremacy that animates much current rabbinic writing, Kellner champions a Maimonidean inspired universalism that sees each human being as being in the image of God, respects other religious faiths, identifies genocide and slavery as evil, and welcomes women and gays as part of a living Jewish community.” ―Baruch Frydman-Kohl, Rabbi Emeritus, Beth Tzedec Congregation of Toronto, and Rabbinic Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem About the Author Menachem Kellner is Chair of Shalem College, Jerusalem’s Department of Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Wolfson Professor of Jewish Thought (emeritus) at the University of Haifa. He is the author, editor, or translator of two dozen books (including two published by Academic Studies Press) and close to two hundred articles in medieval and modern Jewish thought.