num_pages: 531
description: Yale Judaica series 1 Saadya ben Joseph al-Fayyumi (882-942), gaon (head) of the rabbinic academy at Sura &amp; one of the preeminent Jewish thinkers of the medieval period, attempted to create a complete statement of Jewish religious philosophy in which all strands of philosophical thought were to be knit into a unified system. In 'The Book of Doctrines &amp; Beliefs', Saadya sought to rescue believers from 'a sea of doubt &amp; the waters of confusion' into which they had been cast by Christianity, Islam &amp; other faiths. By employing philosophical--or kalamic--argumentation to examine &amp; defend traditional Jewish beliefs, Saadya hoped to turn blind faith into conviction based on rational understanding.
language: English
title: Saadia Gaon: The Book of Beliefs and Opinions
titlecomplete: Saadia Gaon: The Book of Beliefs and Opinions
genres: Religion, Philosophy, Judaica, Jewish, Nonfiction, Judaism
ratings_count: 40
publisher: Yale University Press (New Haven, CT0