Martin Buber’s Theopolitics

341 Pages·2018·2.47 MB·English

by  Samuel Hayim Brody

| i
Martin BuBer’s theopolitics
ii |
new Jewish philosophy and thought
Zachary J. Braiterman
M artin BuBer’s
theopolitics
samuel hayim Brody
indiana university press
This book is a publication of
indiana university press
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iupress.indiana.edu
© 2018 by samuel hayim Brody
all rights reserved
no part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or
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without permission in writing from the publisher. The association
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The paper used in this publication meets the minimum
requirements of the american national standard for information
sciences— permanence of paper for printed library Materials,
ansi Z39.48-1992.
Manufactured in the united states of america
library of congress cataloging-in-publication data
names: Brody, samuel hayim, author.
title: Martin Buber’s theopolitics / samuel hayim Brody.
description: Bloomington, indiana : indiana university press,
[2018] | series: new Jewish philosophy and thought | includes
bibliographical references and index.
identifiers: lccn 2017054186 (print) | lccn 2017054647 (e-book) |
isBn 9780253030221 (e-book) | isBn 9780253029751 (cloth :
alk.  paper) | isBn 9780253030030 (pbk. : alk. paper)
subjects: lcsh: Buber, Martin, 1878–1965. | Judaism and politics. |
politics in the Bible. | arab-israeli conflict. | Zionism and
Judaism. | palestine—in Judaism.
classification: lcc B3213.B84 (e-book) | lcc B3213.B84 B76 2018
(print) | ddc 296.3/82092—dc23
lc record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017054186
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To my parents

.תושרל עדותת לאו ,תונברה-תא אנשו ,הכאלמה-תא בהא
love work. hate positions of domination. do not make yourself
known to the authorities.
—shemayah, Pirkei Avot 1:10 (translation of Siddur Sim Shalom)

contents
preface xi
acknowledgments xiii
note on translation and transliteration xv
list of abbreviations xvii
introduction: what is Theopolitics? 1
Part I. From Anarchism to Anarcho-Theocracy: The Birth
of Theopolitics 17
1 The true Front: Buber and landauer on anarchism and revolution 19
2 The serpent: Theopolitics from weimar to nazi germany 61
3 god against Messiah: The Kingship of God and the ancient israelite
anarcho-Theocracy 81
Part II. The Anointed and the Prophet: Theopolitics in Israel
from Exodus to Exile 123
4 Between pharaohs and nomads: Moses 125
5 The arcanum of the Monarchy: The Anointed 151
6 The Battle for yhVh: The Prophetic Faith 175
Part III. Theopolitics and Zion 211
7 palestinian rain: Zionism as applied Theopolitics 213
8 This pathless hour: Theopolitics in the present 250
conclusion: The narrow ridge, the razor’s edge 292
appendix: Martin Buber to hans Kohn, october 4, 1939 299
selected Bibliography 303
index 307