The Essentials of Liberal Judaism

196 Pages·2022·9.033 MB·English

by  Israel I. Mattuck

Routledge Revivals
The Essentials of Liberal Judaism
First published in 1947 The Essentials of Liberal Judaism explores the funda-
mental ideas of liberal Judaism. Rabbi Israel Mattuck explains that liberal
Judaism is concerned not only with the question, where shall we find the
teachings of Judaism, but also with the question, how shall we find them?
He discusses important themes like conception of God in Judaism; grounds
for the belief in God; problem of evil; guidance of God in human history;
sin, repentance and atonement; Judaism and the social order; liberal Judaism
and orthodox Judaism; differences between Judaism and Christianity and
what it means to be a Jew, to argue that it is the fundamental principle of
liberal Judaism that Judaism is a developing religion. This book is a must
read for scholars of Judaism, history of Judaism, and religion.

The Essentials of Liberal
Judaism
Israel I. Mattuck
Firstpublishedin1947
byRoutledgeKegan&Paul
Thiseditionfirstpublishedin2022byRoutledge
4ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,Oxon,OX144RN
andbyRoutledge
605ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10017
RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness
©IsraelI.Mattuck,1947
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproducedorutilisedin
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ALibraryofCongressrecordexistsunderLCCN:48016769
ISBN:978-1-032-36744-6(hbk)
ISBN:978-1-003-33355-5(ebk)
ISBN:978-1-032-36745-3(pbk)
BookDOI10.4324/9781003333555
THE ESSENTIALS OF
LIBERAL JUDAISM
by
ISRAEL I. MATTUCK, A.M., D.H.L.
Rabbi, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
LONDON
ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL LTD
Broadway House, 68-74 Carter Lane
London, E.C.4
First published 1947
Second impression 1956
TO THE MEMORY OF
CLAUDE GOLDSMID MONTEFIORE
CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION . . . vii
CHAPTER
I THE CONCEPTION OF GOD IN JUDAISM . 1
II THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD . . .10
III GROUNDS FOR THE BELIEF IN GOD . . 19
IV GOD AND THE UNIVERSE . . .29
V THE PROBLEM OF EVIL . . .40
VI GOD AND MAN . . . .48
VII THE GUIDANCE OF GOD IN HUMAN HISTORY . 57
VIII GOD'S GUIDANCE IN THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS . 68
IX PRAYER . . . .. 79
X SIN, REPENTANCE AND ATONEMENT . . 84
XI THE WORSHIP OF GOD . . .94
XII JUDAISM AND THE SOCIAL ORDER . . 104
XIII THE MESSIANIC IDEA . . 115
XIV THE MISSION OF ISRAEL . . . 1 21
XV LIBERAL JUDAISM AND ORTHODOX JUDAISM . 128
XVI DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY 141
XVII THE HOLY DAYS . . . . 1 52
XVIII WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A JEW . . 163
APPENDIX:
JEWISH LITERATURE
THE BIBLE . . . . . 1 71
THE TALMUD . . . . 1 73
THE JEWISH APOCRYPHA . . . 176
POST-TALMUDIC JEWISH LITERATURE. . 177
THE TRADITIONAL PRAYER BOOK . . 181
JEWISH SECTS . . . . . 1 82
V