An Arthur A. Cohen Reader: Selected Fiction and Writings on Judaism, Theology, Literature, and Culture

by Arthur Allen Cohen, Paul Mendes-Flohr, David M. Stern

Theologian, novelist, art and literary critic, Arthur A. Cohen (1928-1986) wrote prodigiously and on an enormous range of topics, developing a singular literary presence that imbued all his writing with a distinctive theological sensibility.

An Arthur A. Cohen Reader presents Cohen's writings on constructive theology, including the famous essay "Why I Choose to be a Jew"; historical studies of Jewish philosophers Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig, post-Holocaust theology, including the original essay that was the basis for his landmark work The Tremendum; literary and art criticism, including brilliant studies of Kafka, Unamuno, Kleist, Sonia Delaunay, and theological analysis of Dada typography; essays on the Jewish imagination and literary tradition; and finally, selections from his fiction, including the short story "The Last Jew on Earth" and the complete novella "Malenov's Revenge".

Prefaced by an introduction that traces Cohen's life and career, An Arthur A. Cohen Reader concludes with a discussion of Cohen's original theology and its contributions to modern Jewish thought. Each section in the book is prefaced by a brief introductory essay, and a complete bibliography of Cohen's publications is provided.

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

About the author

Arthur Allen Cohen, M.A. (Philosophy, University of Chicago, 1949; B.A., U. Chicago, 1946) was a novelist, publisher, art critic, and Jewish theologian. He briefly studied at both Hebrew University and Union Theological Seminary before beginning doctoral work at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he studied medieval Jewish philosophy until 1951, leaving completing his Ph.D.