No Religion without Idolatry: Mendelssohn''s Jewish Enlightenment | Agenda Bookshop Skip to content
Black Friday Sale Now On! | Buy 3 Get 1 Free on all books | Instore & Online.
Black Friday Sale Now On! | Buy 3 Get 1 Free on all books | Instore & Online.
A01=Gideon Freudenthal
Age Group_Uncategorized
Age Group_Uncategorized
Author_Gideon Freudenthal
automatic-update
Category1=Non-Fiction
Category=HPK
Category=HRAB
Category=HRAC
Category=HRCC7
Category=HRCM
Category=HRH
Category=HRHT
Category=HRJ
Category=HRJT
COP=United States
Delivery_Delivery within 10-20 working days
Language_English
PA=Available
Price_€50 to €100
PS=Active
softlaunch

No Religion without Idolatry: Mendelssohn''s Jewish Enlightenment

English

By (author): Gideon Freudenthal

Moses Mendelssohn (17251786) is considered the foremost representative of Jewish Enlightenment. In No Religion without Idolatry, Gideon Freudenthal offers a novel interpretation of Mendelssohns general philosophy and discusses for the first time Mendelssohns semiotic interpretation of idolatry in his Jerusalem and in his Hebrew biblical commentary. Mendelssohn emerges from this study as an original philosopher, not a shallow popularizer of rationalist metaphysics, as he is sometimes portrayed. Of special and lasting value is his semiotic theory of idolatry.

From a semiotic perspective, both idolatry and enlightenment are necessary constituents of religion. Idolatry ascribes to religious symbols an intrinsic value: enlightenment maintains that symbols are conventional and merely signify religious content but do not share its properties and value. Without enlightenment, religion degenerates to fetishism; without idolatry it turns into philosophy and frustrates religious experience. Freudenthal demonstrates that in Mendelssohns view, Judaism is the optimal religious synthesis. It consists of transient ceremonies of a living script. Its ceremonies are symbols, but they are not permanent objects that could be venerated. Jewish ceremonies thus provide a religious experience but frustrate fetishism. Throughout the book, Freudenthal fruitfully contrasts Mendelssohn's views on religion and philosophy with those of his contemporary critic and opponent, Salomon Maimon. No Religion without Idolatry breaks new ground in Mendelssohn studies. It will interest students and scholars in philosophy of religion, Judaism, and semiotics.

See more
Current price €87.29
Original price €96.99
Save 10%
A01=Gideon FreudenthalAge Group_UncategorizedAuthor_Gideon Freudenthalautomatic-updateCategory1=Non-FictionCategory=HPKCategory=HRABCategory=HRACCategory=HRCC7Category=HRCMCategory=HRHCategory=HRHTCategory=HRJCategory=HRJTCOP=United StatesDelivery_Delivery within 10-20 working daysLanguage_EnglishPA=AvailablePrice_€50 to €100PS=Activesoftlaunch
Delivery/Collection within 10-20 working days
Product Details
  • Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
  • Publication Date: 30 Sep 2022
  • Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
  • Publication City/Country: United States
  • Language: English
  • ISBN13: 9780268206635

About Gideon Freudenthal

Gideon Freudenthal is professor at the Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas Tel-Aviv University.

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue we'll assume that you are understand this. Learn more
Accept