A Guide for the Jewish Undecided: A Philosopher Makes the Case for Orthodox Judaism

by Samuel Lebens

What makes a belief or a lifestyle rational? How much evidence do you need before deciding to act on a belief? If your religious beliefs are tightly bound up with your particular experiences and upbringing, doesn't that undermine their reliability? All these questions, and more, come to the fore in Samuel Lebens' A Guide for the Jewish Undecided. Bringing cutting-edge philosophy, science, and decision theory into conversation with Jewish tradition, this book makes the case that Jews today have cogent reasons to embrace Judaism and its practices. Moreover, this embrace is the most viable way in which they can answer the call to human responsibility.

Genres: Philosophy, Judaism, Jewish, Religion

290 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[NovelShongololo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lebens does a great job of covering the question of Jewish belief from a number of different angles. However, it should be stressed that the audience of this book is chiefly for people already attached to a Jewish community with the core of the book addressing Pascalberg's wager - if God exists, how likely is it that he wants me to be a practising Jew. Well written with good analogies to cover some very abstract philosophical points.

[Quincy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique analytical approach that engages in honest realism, much needed in Jewish theology.

[Rebecca Stone]

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