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50th out of 101 books
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14 voters
God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism
Abraham Joshua Heschel was one of the most revered religious leaders of the 20th century, and God in Search of Man and its companion volume, Man Is Not Alone, two of his most important books, are classics of modern Jewish theology. God in Search of Man combines scholarship with lucidity, reverence, and compassion as Dr. Heschel discusses not man's search for God but God's...more
Paperback, 437 pages
Published
June 1st 1976
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
(first published 1955)
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Beginning with the first page of this book, I was hooked on Heschel. In one paragraph, he summed up my thoughts on the religious experience and the problems with religion in modern society.
“It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is complete...more
“It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is complete...more
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In 2005 verscheen een nieuwe druk van dit klassieke boek over de filosofie van het jodendom. Die was gebaseerd op een in 1985 verschenen uitgave in de vertaling van H. de Bie. In principe is daar geen verandering in aangebracht, maar wel is de redactie van de tekst aangepast aan eigentijdse lezers. Woorden zijn vervangen, moeilijke woorden worden toegelicht, zinnen zijn anders geformuleerd. In de voetnoten zijn ook veranderingen aangebracht, niet meer actuele verwijzingen zijn weggelaten, actuel...more
This holy and sacred sefer (book) poetically and logically portrays the essence and raison d'etre for believing in G-d and the sacredness of being a practicing Jew. No other book that I have ever read elucidated for me the depth and sublime nature of our relationship with G-d, as this one has.
Join us at http://philoofreligion.blogspot.com/ for extensive reviews and essays of Rav Heschel’s magnificent work – G-d in Search of Man.
Join us at http://philoofreligion.blogspot.com/ for extensive reviews and essays of Rav Heschel’s magnificent work – G-d in Search of Man.
Excellent book... but Rabbi Heschel is quite an intellectual. Even though it seems English is not his first language, I had to have a dictionary and a Bible open in order to follow his writings.
This book seems to be normally suggested as the second in a series with "Man is not Alone" as the first. I read this one first, and enjoyed it, although I can see why the other might be a better choice to read first.
This book has a lot of it specifically dealing with the Jewish religion. I am not Jewish,...more
This book seems to be normally suggested as the second in a series with "Man is not Alone" as the first. I read this one first, and enjoyed it, although I can see why the other might be a better choice to read first.
This book has a lot of it specifically dealing with the Jewish religion. I am not Jewish,...more
I liked this book though at times I had to plough through some sections; here is the opening paragraph;
"Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, and insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with...more
"Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, and insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with...more
Oct 25, 2007
Bob
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Christians & Jews
Shelves:
world-religions
The depth of Dr. Heschel is overwhelming. He understands the spiritual journey and the Biblical story as no other.
I started reading this book as part of an effort to get a better understanding of Jewish intellectual history. Heschel is routinely mentioned as one of the great Jewish philosophers of the 20th century and so I was excited to delve into this, one of his "greatest works". I could hardly have been more disappointed.
Heschel is a mystic and as such, eschews rationalist approaches to religion. Ok, sure. I'm willing to suspend my rationalism in that area for long enough to get through the book. The d...more
Heschel is a mystic and as such, eschews rationalist approaches to religion. Ok, sure. I'm willing to suspend my rationalism in that area for long enough to get through the book. The d...more
Like so many pure philosophical/theological texts, this one takes awhile to chew through. Some of it just has to deal with subject matter and writing style that makes it difficult to read in great volume, but much of it is intentional. The chapters themselves are broken down frequently into shorter sections resembling restricted content essays, that eventually build on themselves as the book progresses. Its the first book that I have read that approaches the Jewish faith from a philosophical vie...more
Jul 21, 2009
Franciosco Ordonez
added it
as a logical pragmatica person. I did not get the book.
But It change my life .
I constantly surprise myself at the depth of the words. Love understands without asking why.
It was like taking a fly from New York to LA and never asking "How can a plane fly?".
But It change my life .
I constantly surprise myself at the depth of the words. Love understands without asking why.
It was like taking a fly from New York to LA and never asking "How can a plane fly?".
I agree with the review from TIME: "subtitled 'A Philosophy of Judaism,' but it speaks to all those for whom the Bible is a holy book."
And with The Boston Globe: "One of the most compelling books about being human that has been written in this century."
And with The Boston Globe: "One of the most compelling books about being human that has been written in this century."
A must read for developing biblical spirituality. This is a place Jews and Christians can meet, and perhaps any spiritual seer of any sort. Nearly every line is quotable.
http://www.onbeing.org/program/spirit...
After hearing this podcast for the second time, I decided to buy this book. I previously bought his book on the Prophets.
So far, I am greatly enjoying this book. I can't read things like this without taking my time. He is a great writer and is expanding my vocabulary. He is allowing me to reflect on my on faith and beliefs. I always like that.
1/15/13 Troy stole my book. What I can say about this book so far is that the writing is colorful and very thougt-...more
After hearing this podcast for the second time, I decided to buy this book. I previously bought his book on the Prophets.
So far, I am greatly enjoying this book. I can't read things like this without taking my time. He is a great writer and is expanding my vocabulary. He is allowing me to reflect on my on faith and beliefs. I always like that.
1/15/13 Troy stole my book. What I can say about this book so far is that the writing is colorful and very thougt-...more
This book is a miracle! There are moments of such genuine inspiration and translucence that it's like hearing the very voice of God call my name.
Sep 23, 2010
Craig J.
added it
God in Search of Man : A Philosophy of Judaism by Abraham Joshua Heschel (1976)
Great book but hard to read for long periods at a time. Love Heschel!!
I have to say that this is the best book concerning Jewish thought and philosophy that I have read. It might be about 100 pages longer than it needed to be, but that isn't to say that I didn't enjoy reading every page. I love the way that Heschel orders his ideas: working from a concern of philosophy - specifically metaphysics and ethics - and ties these questions and desires to the prophetic imagination and relevance to Torah; further on to halacha and agada and ends with Jewish Identity and Is...more
This was a quick read for me. I read it during two overnight shifts. That is my biggest regret with this book. It deserves a slow, close reading and I did not do it justice. Herschel poetically extracts an inherent philosophy from within Judaism. Not only is it philosophically poignant, but it is a truly enjoyable read. I recommend this book for anyone interested in a Hebraic worldview.
I love it!
One of the deepest, heaviest, most thought provoking books I have ever had the privilege of reading. My copy has notes, highlights and underlined passages all throughout it, and if its something you want to seriously think about you should do the same. It is difficult at points and you have to read it slowly to truly appreciate it while thinking deeply. Having said that though it is absolutely fascinating and amazingly thought provoking. I highly recommend it to everyone
I wish AJH was a Christian because there are so many things throughout the book that resonate with the Christian faith. I think he writes a lot of really good things; it is clearly not all going to align with the Bible - he is not a Christian. The first paragraph of the book is probably one of the best paragraphs of any book. You could just read that and its worth having the book (although you can probably read that paragraph in an amazon preview).
The way Heschel writes is so beautiful that it makes me want to convert to Judaism!
This book really connected me with the G-d of Israel in a way I never knew possible. There were several moments where I felt my faith grow as I began to see G-d through the eyes and mind of His people. I also felt the connected to the people Israel as they experienced G-d in ancient history and continue to do so through the years.
Oy....this book is definitely NOT a quick read! At least for me....I'll get back to you on this one. I do love Heschel's work, though, including his far more accessible book about the Sabbath. I welcome comments.....(cliffs notes!)
I like reading Heschel, and there were some very good parts of the book. However, as with many books it didn't need to be 400 pages long ... or 250 for that matter.
Awesome book. Fascinating approach to Judaisim. Very helpful and interesting to read. I would recommend this book for everyone who has even a passing interest in Judaism.
Prachtig boek, ook voor christenen.
Mijn conclusie na lezing ervan is: Het christendom veronderstelt het Jodendom en vervolmaakt het.
Very philosophical but insightful explanation of the core of Judaism and Jewish perspectives on God.
Read for my philosophy of Judaism class. Really interesting book. Heschel is quite eloquent.
This book is so good and so full of insight, I read just a little nugget at a time....
Essential reading for Jews and those who want to understand Judaism.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| extensive reviews and essays on G-d in Search of Man | 1 | 7 | 6 de Feb 23:13 |
Heschel was a descendant of preeminent rabbinic families of Europe, both on his father's (Moshe Mordechai Heschel, who died of influenza in 1916) and mother's (Reizel Perlow Heschel) side, and a descendant of Rebbe Avrohom Yehoshua Heshl of Apt and other dynasties. He was the youngest of six children including his siblings: Sarah, Dvora Miriam, Esther Sima, Gittel, and Jacob. In his teens he recei...more
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“It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion--its message becomes meaningless.”
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40 people liked it
“This is one of the goals of the Jewish way of living: to experience commonplace deeds as spiritual adventures, to feel the hidden love and wisdom in all things.”
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4 people liked it
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