Moses Mendelssohn´s Living Script: Philosophy, Practice, History, Judaism
Elias Sacks
Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786) is often described as the founder of modern Jewish thought and as a leading philosopher of the late Enlightenment. One of Mendelssohn's main concerns was how to conceive of the relationship between Judaism, philosophy, and the civic life of a modern state. Elias Sacks explores Mendelssohn's landmark account of Jewish practice—Judaism's "living script," to use his famous phrase—to present a broader reading of Mendelssohn's writings and extend inquiry into conversations about modernity and religion. By studying Mendelssohn's thought in these dimensions, Sacks suggests that he shows a deep concern with history. Sacks affords a view of a foundational moment in Jewish modernity and forwards new ways of thinking about ritual practice, the development of traditions, and the role of religion in society.
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About Elias Sacks
Reviews for Moses Mendelssohn´s Living Script: Philosophy, Practice, History, Judaism
Toronto Journal of Theology
With scholarly acuity and philological sophistication, Sacks offers us an elegant historical examination of Mendelssohn's own historical consciousness, capturing the philosopher's enduring relevance for the present and future.
The Journal of Religion
Highly recommended.
Choice
Sacks has written an accessible book that will help students who read Jerusalem to better understand Mendelssohn's intellectual methods and objectives as well as his contributions to the development of modern religious forms of Judaism. Mendelssohn's Living Script is also an important book that makes a valuable contribution to debates that will continue to engage the next generation of scholars of Mendelssohn.
Reading Religion