Challenge Yourself to Delve into a Deeper
Interfaith Dialogue
“To wrestle with the ideas these
thinkers present is to find ourselves challenged to look at our
own religious lives in new ways; and to appreciate the
spiritual endeavors of others, whatever form their religious
expression may take. To engage with these thinkers can leave us
enlarged in our perception of human religiousness and deepened
in our appreciation of it.” —from the Conclusion
The modern age of religion is
characterized by dialogue. Jews and Christians together explore
the realities and meaning of living in proximity to one
another. Yet for all the good will and sincerity of intention,
too often such discussions fail to progress beyond
well-intentioned pleasantries to the challenging content that
can truly deepen our understanding of each other.
This fascinating and accessible
introduction to the theologies of four modern religious
thinkers will help you break through the superficial
generalities to plumb the depths of religious differences and
embrace the commonalities. Examining the lives and works of
Søren Kierkegaard, Martin Buber, Paul Tillich and
Abraham Joshua Heschel through the lens of their treatment of
the Bible and the biblical patriarch Abraham, you will take
part in a discussion of the very phenomenon of religion and
what part it plays in living a fully engaged human life.
“Illumines the significance of four
of the most profound Jewish and Christian thinkers of the
modern period … offers a way of understanding religion as
a stimulus for the common good.”
—Sr. Mary
C. Boys, Skinner and McAlpin
Professor of Practical Theology,
Union Theological
Seminary; coauthor, Christians and
Jews in Dialogue:
Learning in the Presence of the Other
“Intimate, subjective, profound
… an urgently needed model for interfaith sharing. Warmly
and accessibly written.”
—Dr.
Beatrice Bruteau, author, Jesus Through Jewish Eyes and
What We Can Learn
from the East
“Provocative.… Will speak to
all of us who strive to make sense of our shared human
experience. Will be particularly indispensable for those
engaged in serious interfaith education. A notable
accomplishment.”
—Dr. Neil
Gillman, professor of Jewish
philosophy, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; author,
The Jewish Approach to God:
A Brief
Introduction for Christians
“An insightful and highly readable
introduction to four religious giants whose thought continues
to inform our philosophical and theological conversations
today.”
—Ron
Miller, professor of religion, Lake
Forest College; author,
Healing the
Jewish-Christian Rift: Growing Beyond Our Wounded History
“A fascinating dialogue with four of
the greatest thinkers of modernity that prepares the groundwork
for an enhanced conversation between Christians and Jews.
Kierkegaard, Buber, Tillich and Heschel come alive and speak to
us and to each other across all that divides human
beings.”
—Dr.
Norman J. Cohen, author, Moses and the Journey to Leadership and
The Way
Into Torah
The Center for Religious Inquiry
Series
This series explores topics of religion
and spirituality in an effort to develop new understandings of
the various faith traditions. Each book is developed in
conjunction with the acclaimed Center for Religious
Inquiry of St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York
City, a model for religious exploration across traditional
religious lines that is being replicated in other cities across
the United States.