Description
Book SynopsisFor Louis Jacobs, the quest—the process of engaging with and thinking about Jewish faith—was a lifelong pursuit. He offered a model in the 1960s, a period characterized by general religious crisis, of an observant, committed, but intellectually curious Judaism that empowered individual seekers to address challenges to faith. In Orthodox Judaism at the time a battle was under way for religious control. Generating a widespread controversy in British Jewry known as the ‘Jacobs Affair’, his thought offers a lens for examining the trajectory of Orthodoxy. In a contemporary context marked by the changing cultural and intellectual concerns of a ‘post-secular’ age, the focus of some of these debates over religious control has shifted. Yet Jacobs’ emphasis on a personal quest is as relevant as ever, perhaps more so.
This first book-length analysis of his theology unpacks the building blocks of his thought. It argues that, despite its particularities and limitations, his approach can provide a powerful model for contemporary religious seekers in the context of a growing impetus away from established, denominationally bound forms of religion. Many orthodox believers across a range of faiths continue to prefer the certainty of unquestionable religious truth claims rather than pursuing a subjective search for religious meaning. For those seeking alternative models for the contemporary Jewish quest, a reconsideration of Jacobs’ theology can offer valuable tools.
Trade Review‘A major study of an important twentieth-century Jewish thinker and religious leader, whom I was privileged to know and learn from.’
David Novak, Fellow of St. Michael's College, University of Toronto
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Part I. The Grinning Cheshire Cat
1. The Making of Louis Jacobs
2. Tradition vs. Orthodoxy
3. The Jew in the Pew
Part II. Liberal Supernaturalism: The Theology of Louis Jacobs
4. God
5. Torah
6. Israel
Part III. The Contemporary Jewish Quest: From Cheshire Cat to Tinkerer
7. Revelation in Context: From Louis Jacobs to TheTorah.com
8. The Tyranny of Labels
9. Mysticism and the New Age
10. Truth and Faith
Conclusion: Reconsidering Jacobs for the Contemporary Jewish Quest
Bibliography
Index
