Moses Mendelssohn: Writings on Judaism, Christianity, and the Bible(Tauber Institute Series for the Study of European Jewry & th)

Runner-up for the National Jewish Book Award German Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1786) is best known in the English-speaking world for his Jerusalem (1783), the first attempt to present Judaism as a religion compatible with the ideas of the Enlightenment. While incorporating much of Jerusalem, Michah Gottlieb's volume seeks to expand knowledge of Mendelssohn's thought by presenting translations of many of his other seminal writings from the German or Hebrew originals. These writings include essays, commentaries, unpublished reflections, and personal letters. Part One includes selections from the three major controversies of Mendelssohn's life, all of which involved polemical encounters with Christian thinkers. Part Two presents selections from Mendelssohn's writings on the Bible. Part Three offers texts that illuminate Mendelssohn's thoughts on a diverse range of religious topics, including God's existence, the immortality of the soul, and miracles. Designed for class adoption, the volume contains annotations and an introduction by the editor.

About the Author :
MICHAH GOTTLIEB is an assistant professor in the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University.

Review :
....Although the second scholarly edition of Mendelssohn's collected works (Jubilaumsausgabe; 1929-1938; 1971) made his Hebrew texts available to modern scholars, only now, thanks to Micah Gottlieb and others, have Mendelssohn's Hebrew writings become available in English (and thus stand some chance of being introduced to students at American universities). Anyone interested in Jewish contributions to modern Bible exegesis or to modern Jewish reflections about the Bible in general will welcome these translations.-- "The Bible and Interpretation" "We should be indebted to Gottlieb for providing the English-speaking community greater access to Mendelssohn, and especially those interested in teaching Mendelssohn's writings. Mendelssohn has always deserved a place in our philosophy and general religious studies curricula. Thanks to Gottlieb, this is now possible."-- "Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations" Gottlieb has chosen outstanding texts to include in this volume, which are certain to be of interest to anyone with even a passing interest in Mendelssohn or the Enlightenment. Indeed, I suspect this work will become the new standard volume for those teaching Mendelssohn. He provides helpful introductions and annotations to the works in question, making even Mendelssohn's more technical works on Jewish exegesis accessible to philosophers with no training in Jewish Studies. . . . A volume such as this is long overdue, and hopefully a new appreciation of Mendelssohn will follow in its wake.-- "Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews" Gottlieb's choices of letters, documents, and selections from major works are most enlightening. And while most of the works are by Mendelssohn, the fact that letters to him and commentaries by contemporaries are included gives an added, humanizing dimension to the book's subject. What further distinguished this volume are the excellent prefatory notes which introduce nearly all the selections and the helpful footnotes which do much more than simply credit sources or define arcane terms.-- "Jewish Book World" Jewish Book World" Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews" Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations" The Bible and Interpretation" ."...Although the second scholarly edition of Mendelssohn's collected works (Jubilaumsausgabe; 1929-1938; 1971) made his Hebrew texts available to modern scholars, only now, thanks to Micah Gottlieb and others, have Mendelssohn's Hebrew writings become available in English (and thus stand some chance of being introduced to students at American universities). Anyone interested in Jewish contributions to modern Bible exegesis or to modern Jewish reflections about the Bible in general will welcome these translations." --The Bible and Interpretation .."..Although the second scholarly edition of Mendelssohn's collected works (Jubilaumsausgabe; 1929-1938; 1971) made his Hebrew texts available to modern scholars, only now, thanks to Micah Gottlieb and others, have Mendelssohn's Hebrew writings become available in English (and thus stand some chance of being introduced to students at American universities). Anyone interested in Jewish contributions to modern Bible exegesis or to modern Jewish reflections about the Bible in general will welcome these translations." --The Bible and Interpretation "Gottlieb has chosen outstanding texts to include in this volume, which are certain to be of interest to anyone with even a passing interest in Mendelssohn or the Enlightenment. Indeed, I suspect this work will become the new standard volume for those teaching Mendelssohn. He provides helpful introductions and annotations to the works in question, making even Mendelssohn's more technical works on Jewish exegesis accessible to philosophers with no training in Jewish Studies. . . . A volume such as this is long overdue, and hopefully a new appreciation of Mendelssohn will follow in its wake."--Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews "Gottlieb's choices of letters, documents, and selections from major works are most enlightening. And while most of the works are by Mendelssohn, the fact that letters to him and commentaries by contemporaries are included gives an added, humanizing dimension to the book's subject. What further distinguished this volume are the excellent prefatory notes which introduce nearly all the selections and the helpful footnotes which do much more than simply credit sources or define arcane terms."--Jewish Book World "Gottlieb s choices of letters, documents, and selections from major works are most enlightening. And while most of the works are by Mendelssohn, the fact that letters to him and commentaries by contemporaries are included gives an added, humanizing dimension to the book s subject. What further distinguished this volume are the excellent prefatory notes which introduce nearly all the selections and the helpful footnotes which do much more than simply credit sources or define arcane terms." Jewish Book World" We should be indebted to Gottlieb for providing the English-speaking community greater access to Mendelssohn, and especially those interested in teaching Mendelssohn s writings. Mendelssohn has always deserved a place in our philosophy and general religious studies curricula. Thanks to Gottlieb, this is now possible. Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations"