The Scepter Shall Not Depart from Judah: Perspectives on the Persistence of the Political in Judaism / Edition 200

by Alan L. Mittleman

Overview

The title of political theorist Alan L. Mittleman's captivating new book is drawn from the patriarch Jacob's blessing to his children and grandchildren. The blessing contains the promise that Judah will become a royal house, perhaps forever. Kings, of course, ceased in Israel, but politics did not. Regime replaced regime. National independence was compromised and lost, regained and lost again. Yet the attention to things political was never lost. Old texts were applied to new political realities. Political awareness and thought, constantly transformed and adapted to new historical exigencies, persisted among the Jews. In The Scepter Shall Not Depart from Judah, Mittleman looks at some of the central problems of political philosophy—such as fundamental rights and the common good—from the point of view of rabbinic Judaism. At the same time, he considers conceptual issues in Judaism—such as covenant and tradition—from the perspective of political philosophy. Mittleman's sources range from the ancient rabbis to contemporary political theorists, making this volume an important one for courses and research in both Jewish studies and political theory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739100974
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	02/09/2000
Series:	Religion, Politics, and Society in the New Millennium
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Alan L. Mittleman is Associate Professor of Religion at Muhlenberg College. He is the author of The Politics of Torah: German-Jewish Orthodoxy and the Founding of Agudat Israel (1996) and Between Kant and Kabbalah: An Introduction to Isaac Breuer's Philosophy of Judaism (1990).

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Paradigm Lost: The Decline of the Jews As a Polity Chapter 3 The Recovery of Covenant: The Politicization of Jewish Origins Chapter 4 Covenant and Tradition: The Dynamics of Consent Chapter 5 The Emergence of the Polity Chapter 6 Persons and Rights Chapter 7 The Dilemma of Modern Judaism As a Problem of Political Obligation Chapter 8 Individuals and the Common Good Chapter 9 the Constitution of a Jewish State: The Thought of R. Shimon Federbush Chapter 10 Afterword

Editorial Reviews

Raises a vital issue in an impartial manner and is sure to advance the ongoing debate on the Jewish political tradition.

Religious Studies Review

Raises a vital issue in an impartial manner and is sure to advance the ongoing debate on the Jewish political tradition.--Religious Studies Review

From the Publisher