Judaism Faces the Twentieth Century: A Biography of Mordecai M. Kaplan (American Jewish Civilization Series)
Brand: Brand: Wayne State University Press
Categories: Books, Politics & Social Sciences, Social Sciences


Used Book in Good Condition

Dimensions: 6.75 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-13: 978-0814322796
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0814322794
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Print length: 440 pages
Publication date: September 1, 1993
subtitle: Hardcover – September 1, 1993
author: Visit Amazon's Mel Scult Page search results Mel Scult
review: Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Son of a Lithuanian rabbi who emigrated with his family to New York in 1889, Mordecai Kaplan (1881-1983) struggled to find ways to make Judaism compatible with the American experience and modern thought. Viewing Judaism as a "living civilization" rather than merely as a religion, Kaplan, a rabbi, sociological thinker and teacher, founded the Reconstructionist movement, an alternative to the Reform, Conservative and Orthodox branches of Judasim. In this rich study of a major Jewish thinker, Scult, a professor of Judaic Studies at Brooklyn College, limns a self-doubting, workaholic, demanding idealist whose ideas still provoke controversy. Kaplan characterized God as the "cosmic life urge" which displayed itself in human strivings for justice and freedom. He interpreted Jewish rituals and commandments as customs and folkways that helped the Jews in their efforts to lead an ethical life. Photos. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review A major achievement . . . Scult brings his subject to life with consummate care in the context of the personalities, institutions, and issues which shaped and were shaped by him-thereby helping us to appreciate anew how much American Jews and American Judaism today still wrestle with Kaplan's immense legacy. (Arnold M. Eisen Stanford University ) This richly detailed, lucid biography . . . is a model of objectivity and judicious empathy that explodes false preconceptions about Kaplan and fills a large gap in modern Jewish intellectual history. (Robert M. Seltzer Hunter College, City University of New York ) Book Description Judaism Faces the Twentieth Century is the first critical examination of the early life of Mordecai Caplet-the sources of his inspiration, the evolution of his thought as a religious ideologue, and his inner struggles. About the Author Mel Scult is a professor emeritus of Judaic Studies at Brooklyn College and a professor emeritus of history at City University of New York, Graduate Center. Read more