Description
Book SynopsisThe title of political theorist Alan L. Mittleman''s captivating new book is drawn from the patriarch Jacob''s blessing to his children and grandchildren. The blessing contains the promise that Judah will become a royal house, perhaps forever. Kings, of course, ceased in Israel, but politics did not. Regime replaced regime. National independence was compromised and lost, regained and lost again. Yet the attention to things political was never lost. Old texts were applied to new political realities. Political awareness and thought, constantly transformed and adapted to new historical exigencies, persisted among the Jews. In The Scepter Shall Not Depart from Judah, Mittleman looks at some of the central problems of political philosophysuch as fundamental rights and the common goodfrom the point of view of rabbinic Judaism. At the same time, he considers conceptual issues in Judaismsuch as covenant and traditionfrom the perspective of political philosophy. Mittleman''s sources range from the ancient rabbis to contemporary political theorists, making this volume an important one for courses and research in both Jewish studies and political theory.
Trade ReviewRaises a vital issue in an impartial manner and is sure to advance the ongoing debate on the Jewish political tradition. * Religious Studies Review *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Paradigm Lost: The Decline of the Jews As a Polity Chapter 3 The Recovery of Covenant: The Politicization of Jewish Origins Chapter 4 Covenant and Tradition: The Dynamics of Consent Chapter 5 The Emergence of the Polity Chapter 6 Persons and Rights Chapter 7 The Dilemma of Modern Judaism As a Problem of Political Obligation Chapter 8 Individuals and the Common Good Chapter 9 the Constitution of a Jewish State: The Thought of R. Shimon Federbush Chapter 10 Afterword
