Close Encounters: Jewish Views About God

by Ronald H. Isaacs

Although it is primarily a book about God, this unique volume is more specifically about the ways in which Jews have spoken of and written about God throughout four millennia of history. By looking at the Bible, rabbinic literature, the liturgy, and the work of ancient and modern Jewish theologians, best-selling author and respected rabbi Ronald Isaacs presents the ways in which Jewish tradition responds to and grapples with questions about God, including God's nature, attributes, and plan for the universe. Topics explored basic conceptions of God, early classical proofs of God's existence, theories of revelation, writing and pronouncing God's name, prayer, God in Jewish mysticism, Jewish theology since the Holocaust, how to respond when children ask about God, and how to develop a personal theology.
For many people, the search for personal growth and spiritual fulfillment has raised numerous questions of faith. A introduction to the broad spectrum of issues about God, Close Jewish Views about God will provide intellectual sustenance and ideas for further exploration for those readers seeking to strengthen their spiritual identities.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996