Rabbi Sacks is one of the most important theologians in the world today. I find his thoughts and works extremely inspiring and thought provoking. That said, I have difficulties with books such as "Future Tense." Rabbi Sacks puts together an amazing argument built on layer after layer of brilliant thought and he offers a visionary outlook of how Jews and Israel facing Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism, aka the new Antisemitism, can approach the world in order to address these very difficult challenges. However, the real issues are in the details. When Theodore Herzl wrote "The Jewish State" he thought about the real challenges that Jews were going to encounter and started proposing solutions to address them. A person who has never read the book would be surprised after laying out his argument on why a Jewish State is needed, he goes into some amazing technocratic detail on how to implement it.
This is what I find lacking in Rabbi Sack's latest work. For example, he talks about the need to integrate Judaism into Israeli society. A similar point was made by Daniel Gordis in his book "Saving Israel." Both Rabbi Sacks and Daniel Gordis make very strong arguments of why more Jewish content should be integrated into Israeli education and society; however, none provide a blueprint on how to implement it. Israel is a highly stratified society. These challenges can be seen in the 2019 Israeli Elections between the Haredim (Ultra-Orthodox) and Hiloniem (Secular).
Rabbi Sack's makes a brilliant religious argument on why all Jews MUST engage in the entire world and become educated in all subjects. He further posits that for Jews to fulfill their role that Hashem (G-d) has set out for them they must not isolate themselves, but integrate with society at large. Today the Haredim do not want to serve in the Israeli Defense Force for fear of mixing with secular and even non-Jewish soldiers who might lead them astray. The modus operandi of the Haredim is to isolate themselves from outside influences which according to Rabbi Sack's defeats the objectives laid out in the Torah.
The challenge is how to get the Haredim to engage. Rabbi Sack's offers a Jewish perspective of hope; however, little in the way of pragmatic suggestions. He does emphasize to engage we must listen and show empathy. Again these are brilliant insights; however, very hard to bring from the general to the specific.
And Rabbi Sack's does not single out the Haredim. He talks about how the need to bring more Judaism into the secular Israeli Society. He talks about forging alliances with other Religions to fight hate. These are just examples of one of the arguments he builds with little resolution.
That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. And I also must admit I believe part of his reason for writing the book is not to offer specifics, but to challenge people to think and do what they believe can achieve the objectives of the "Future" driven by "Hope." He did refer to a portion of Pirke Avot in the book; however, I believe his purposes is laid out in Chapter 2 versus 15 & 16.
רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר, הַיּוֹם קָצָר וְהַמְּלָאכָה מְרֻבָּה, וְהַפּוֹעֲלִים עֲצֵלִים, וְהַשָּׂכָר הַרְבֵּה, וּבַעַל הַבַּיִת דּוֹחֵק:
Rabbi Tarfon said: the day is short, and the work is plentiful, and the laborers are indolent, and the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent.
הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה. אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, נוֹתְנִים לְךָ שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם לְךָ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתֶךָ. וְדַע מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא:
He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it; If you have studied much Torah, you shall be given much reward. Faithful is your employer to pay you the reward of your labor; And know that the grant of reward unto the righteous is in the age to come.