A comprehensive inquiry into the central tenets of Fackenheim’s philosophy.
A detailed study of German-born Jewish philosopher Emil Fackenheim’s thought.
Philosopher McRobert (Appearances: Genetic Mythology and Cosmic Instincts, 2011, etc.) presents a thorough chronological analysis of Fackenheim’s writings. Fackenheim (1916–2003) was a Holocaust survivor, philosopher and rabbi. His work developed from his preoccupation with medieval philosophy and the works of philosophers Friedrich Schelling, Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig toward a search for existential foundations in the works of Georg Hegel and Søren Kierkegaard. Fackenheim’s study of Immanuel Kant’s works, McRobert writes, provided him with the means to pose theological issues philosophically. The author concludes that Fackenheim eventually went beyond philosophy and, in his major work, To Mend the World (1982), moved toward prophetic theology. She sets out to show how the philosopher’s early work prepared the way for this change by asserting that evil was an absolute and by providing “prophetic symbols” for his philosophy and theology. Fackenheim, McRobert explains, ended up seeing the Holocaust as an event of transcendent absolute evil that forever fragments meaning—one that must be kept alive in the witnesses’ minds in order not to give Hitler any posthumous victories. The philosopher also came to see Israel as a necessary “secular-religious truth” to resist evil. This book provides a serious examination of philosophical and theological issues and is meant for scholarly, not casual, readers; it’s best suited for graduate students in philosophy. Students of contemporary Jewish thought, particularly those interested in ethics and theology in the light of the Holocaust, will likely be drawn to this detailed study, and readers of Fackenheim’s work, in particular, may also find it a helpful guide.
A comprehensive inquiry into the central tenets of Fackenheim’s philosophy.Pub Date: Jan. 23, 2013
ISBN: 978-1479110568
Page Count: 440
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: April 2, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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