Philosophical and Theological Writings. Tr. and edited, with Introduction, by Franks and Morgan. Hackett. 2000.

by Franz Rosenzweig

This volume brings together Rosenzweig's central essays on theology and philosophy, including two works available for the first time in the conclusion to Rosenzweig's book Hegel and the State, and Rosenzweig's famous letter to Rudolph Ehrenberg known as the Urzelle of the Star of Redemption, an essential work for understanding Rosenzweig, Weimar theology and philosophy, and German idealism and the existential reaction of the period. Additional selections are presented in new or revised translations. Introduction and notes by Franks and Morgan set Rosenzweig’s works in context and illuminate his role as one of the key thinkers of the period.

Genres: Philosophy, Religion, Theology, Judaism

Unknown Binding

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Franz Rosenzweig's story, like Gershom Scholem and Franz Kafka, was that of a return to the very core of Jewish life from the assimilated periphery. Rosenzweig was born into a wealthy, acculturated family in Kassel, Germany. After studying medicine, his scholastic interest shifted toward philosophy and his dissertation later became a two-volume study entitled Hegel und der Staat [Hegel and the State] (1920), which is displayed in the Bezalel Bookcase. It was at this stage in his life where he was ready to abandon Judaism and convert to Christianity, but only on one condition. Like the earliest Christians, he would enter as a Jew, not a pagan. In 1913, as a last resort, he attended Kol Nidre services. In that orthodox synagogue, he had a religious epiphany that sent him squarely back to Judaism.

As a solider in the trenches during World War I, Rosenzweig composed his seminal work, Der Stern der Erloesung [The Star of Redemption] (1921). Afterwards he moved to Frankfurt, where he created a "particular Jewish sphere" and remained the rest of his life. Beyond the influence of his published scholarly works, his legacy is undoubtedly intertwined with his founding of the Freies Judisches Lehrhaus, an adult academy dedicated to Jewish studies of the highest intellectual standing.

Franz Rosenzweig personified the conflict of many young intelligent Jews, that between the pull of modernity and the practice of traditional Jewish ideals. More than any other German Jew, Rosenzweig helped to build a distinct, modern Jewish culture, while remaining deeply rooted in his German surrounding.

-Gelman Library, http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/spec/kiev/t...

Reviews

[Gregory Kaplan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful original essays by the most incisive 20th century Jewish social and religious thinker. Highly readable translation with superior notes and introductory sections.