Moses Mendelssohn's Living Script, livre ebook

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.

Translations and Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The "Living Script": Jerusalem's Perplexing Arguments
2. Conceptual Disfiguring: Jewish Practice and Philosophical History
3. The Felicity of the Nation: Jewish Practice and Social History
4. "The Strict Obedience We Owe": Jewish Practice and the Study of History
5. Rethinking Mendelssohn: Mendelssohn's Historical Judaism
Conclusion: Beyond Mendelssohn: History, Modernity, and Religious Practice
Bibliography