The Witherspoon Institute announces a two-week summer seminar to be held at Princeton University on “God, Politics, and the Jewish Tradition.” Modern Jewish thought has for the most part focused on ethics to the exclusion of the political and theological dimensions of Judaism. At the same time, the study of Judaism in the academy has focused largely on historicizing Judaism to the detriment of appreciating the Jewish tradition’s broad humanistic concerns with questions of justice, authority, and human obligations and rights. This seminar aims to remedy both of these more limited but dominant perspectives by engaging the theological and political dimensions of the Jewish tradition, with an eye to their contemporary relevance. In this way, the seminar aims to bring the intellectual and moral riches of Judaism into current political discussions. The seminar will enable young scholars to consider and perhaps continue the legacy of great Jewish thinkers and teachers, both ancient and modern, who have engaged the broader intellectual and political world from a self-consciously Jewish perspective in the struggle for a just, morally decent, and humane social order.

The seminar will be led by Leora Batnitzky (Princeton University) and David Novak (University of Toronto). Additional faculty presenters at the seminar will include Lenn Goodman (Vanderbilt University), Leon Kass (University of Chicago), Alan Mittleman (Jewish Theological Seminary), David Myers (UCLA), Suzanne Stone (Yeshiva University), and Michael Walzer (Institute for Advanced Study).

Participants: Graduate and advanced undergraduates interested in the role of ancient and modern Jewish thought in public life. Selection is competitive with an anticipated enrollment of twenty. There is a $50 fee for attending the seminar (though there is no cost for applying). Board and lodging will be provided.

Application Requirements: filled application form (obtainable here), résumé, a 500-word essay describing your interest in the seminar, and one faculty letter of recommendation, preferably from your advisor. Please e-mail your résumé and essay to Duncan Sahner(email). A hardcopy of your recommendation may be mailed to:

Updated January 24, 2008

Posted December 17, 2007