Sacred Attunement: A Jewish Theology

by Michael Fishbane

Contemporary theology, and Jewish theology in particular, Michael Fishbane asserts, now lies fallow, beset by strong critiques from within and without. For Jewish reality, a coherent and wide-ranging response in thoroughly modern terms is needed. Sacred Attunement is Fishbane’s attempt to renew Jewish theology for our time, in the larger context of modern and postmodern challenges to theology and theological thought in the broadest sense.

The first part of the book regrounds theology in this setting and opens up new pathways through nature, art, and the theological dimension as a whole. In the second section, Fishbane introduces his hermeneutical theology—one grounded in the interpretation of scripture as a distinctly Jewish practice. The third section focuses on modes of self-cultivation for awakening and sustaining a covenant theology. The final section takes up questions of scripture, authority, belief, despair, and obligation as theological topics in their own right.

The first full-scale Jewish theology in America since Abraham J. Heschel’s God in Search of Man and the first comprehensive Jewish philosophical theology since Franz Rosenzweig’s Star of Redemption, Sacred Attunement is a work of uncommon personal integrity and originality from one of the most distinguished scholars of Judaica in our time.

Genres: Judaism, Theology, Religion, Spirituality

246 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jeffrey (Akiva) Savett · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most astounding and revelatory books of Jewish theology I've ever read. It will affect me for years to come. I am about to begin studying it formally with an amazing Rabbi.

It is not for everyone. Fishbane, though inspirational, writes like a deconstructionist academic...or maybe like Maimonides...either way, this is book best encountered slowly and with patience.

[Steve]

I plan to check out this book again to finish reading Chapter 2 - A Jewish Hermeneutical Theology

This chapter is about "the acronym PaRDeS ( a term that connotes the “paradise” or “garden” of scriptural senses) which denotes the four principal modes of scriptural reading, which variously train the mind and heart for a life of spiritual alertness in the world." I first heard about PaRDes listening to a Robcast with Rob Bell interviewing a good friend of his who is Jewish. I was still reading about Remez when I had to return it to the library.
1. Peshat (P'Shat) - the plain or contextual meaning of scripture, the direct and ungarnished sense, so to say, insofar as we can know it.
2. Remez - the assorted hints or allusions of scripture, insofar as its words and phrases may be decoded to reveal moral and philosophical or psychological allegories.
3. Derash - the far ranging theological and legal reformulations of scripture, providing more indirect and mediated meanings of the text, in response to the ongoing challenges of religious life and belief.
4. Sod - the intuited spiritual or mystical dimensions of scripture, inseparable from the cosmic and supernal truths of divine Being.

[Sofia Freudenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lifechanging.

[Ivy]

i’ll be honest i didn’t like reading this one. not very accessibly written

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has published a "theological will". It presents a very personal view on how to approach Torah and think theologically in Judaism that is a culmination of his career. The book however is marred by a couple of things: (1) the lack of adequate footnotes--there are notes at the back of the book but listed by page number not place in the text where they are relevant, which would be much more handy with identifying the contribution of others to Fishbane's theology presented--and (2) a blizzard of words. The book is less than clear is several places. Much like Franz Rosenzweig's Star of Redemption, it is very difficult to follow the argument at times and could have been more clear. I wish theological discourse were as clear as, for example, Wittgenstein's philosophical writings.