Raphael Jospe is a thinking Jew and at the same time an important Jewish thinker. As a thinking Jew, he is not afraid to stake out brave positions on controversial topics such as the nature of Jewish chosenness, pluralism, idolatry, and prophecy among the nations. As an important Jewish thinker, he finds support for his positions in a wide variety of authoritative Jewish sources. These include the Bible and Rabbinic Literature, and thinkers such as Sadia Gaon, Judah Halevi, Maimonides, and Abraham ibn Ezra. Jospe brings these medieval thinkers into creative conversation with moderns like Moses Mendelssohn and especially Mordecai Kaplan. Throughout this lively and sparkling book, we also find Jospe himself in dialogue with a wide variety of contemporary scholars of Jewish Thought. Raphael Jospe is not only a thinker, but he is also an activist; for over a generation he has taken a leading role in encounters with Christianity and Mormonism. There is thus much to be learned from this learned and thought-provoking book.Menachem Kellner, Wolfson Professor Emeritus of Jewish Thought at the University of Haifa and Founding Chair (retired) of the Department of Philosophy and Jewish Thought at Shalem College, Jerusalem
Based on a learned reading of biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and modern sources, Raphael Jospe presents a smiling, wise, and pluralistic Judaism that respects and accepts the Other. In our divisive times, this is a welcome and urgent message.
Zev Warren Harvey, professor emeritus in the Department of Jewish Thought, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Raphael Jospes Accepting and Excepting offers Jewish approaches to religious pluralism both internal Jewish pluralism and Jewish views of other religionswhich are a product of the authors reflections on this subject, starting when he was a thoughtful and inquisitive high school student to the present day, as a retired professor of Jewish philosophy. The result of these reflections is a book which is highly informed by scholarship but with remarkable personal aspects. Jospes teaching, research and participation in intra-faith and inter-faith encounters make him uniquely qualified to address among other questions: How can Jews be loyal to their own religious and theological stances without denying or denigrating the positive aspects of competing religious doctrines? How can Jews advocate pluralism without adopting a relativistic approach towards their own beliefs? In our era of cleavage and controversy, this voice for tolerance out of the sources of Judaism is most welcome.
Daniel J. Lasker, Blechner Professor Emeritus of Jewish Values, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
The thread of blue binding this books pages is a line Mordecai Kaplan sent the future author in 1967: 'In Judaism as a civilization, belonging is prior to believing although meaningless without believing.' Collating years of study, seeking the meanings and connections of believing and belonging, Raphael Jospe traces the narrow ledge dividing pluralism from relativism, always surer of his footing on solid moral ground than trusting pitons anchored overhead. Torah and Talmud, and philosophical classics from Aristotle to Kant, mark the trail with traces of bold advances and partial falls. Maimonides, Nahmanides, Bahya, and Halevi have left guideposts and cautions. So have Muslim philosophers like al-Farabi, al-Ghazali, and Averroes, and Jewish greats from Rashi and Ibn Ezra to Spinoza and Mendelssohn, from Falaquera to Rosensweig, Buber, Heschel, and Jonathan Sacks. The probing conversation does not neglect our own contemporaries, many of them Jospes friends and fellow seekers.
Lenn E. Goodman, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities, Philosophy, Furman Hall, author of Judaism: A Contemporary Philosophical Investigation
In our polarized world, challenged by moral relativism on the one hand and extremist religious ideologies on the other, Raphael Jospe offers us a timely vision of deep religious commitment together with a moral clarity that genuinely respects and indeed celebrates diversity. Mastering and often critiquingan impressive array of classical and modern Jewish sources, as well as insights from beyond Jewish tradition, he presents both a theoretical and practical road map for an authentic Jewish pluralist outlook, both interreligious as well as intra-religious. As Professor Jospe states, his goal is not to disregard differences, 'but to enhance them out of dialogue with other perspectives, learning with and from each other out of true respect for the other.' Accordingly he presents a vision of wisdom and hope for our world in which 'everyone will sit under their own vine and their own fig tree and no-one will make them afraid' (Micah 4:4)
Rabbi David Rosen, KSG CBE, former International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee and an International President of Religions for Peace
