Yitz Greenberg and Modern Orthodoxy: The Road Not Taken

Description

Sixteen scholars from around the globe gathered at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies in the bucolic Yarnton Manor in the Oxfordshire countryside in June 2014, for the first (now annual) Oxford Summer Institute on Modern and Contemporary Judaism. The current volume is the fruit of this encounter. The goal of the event was to facilitate in-depth engagement with the thought of Rabbi Dr. Irving “Yitz” Greenberg, concentrating particularly on the historical ramifications of his theological and public stances. Consideration was given to his lifelong and complex encounter with the Modern Orthodox stream of American Judaism and the extent to which his teachings functioned as “the road not taken.” This auspicious gathering was most certainly characterized by deep appreciation for Greenberg’s original outlook, which is predicated on his profound dedication to God, Torah, the Jewish people, and humanity. But this was by no means gratuitous homage or naive esteem. On the contrary, those in attendance understood that the most genuine form of admiration for a thinker and leader of his stature―especially one who continues to produce path-breaking writings and speak out publicly―is to examine rigorously and critically his ideas and legacy. We are confident that the creative process that was nurtured has resulted in a substantive contribution to research on the religious, historical, and social trajectories of contemporary Judaism, and, similarly will engender fresh thinking on crucial theological and ideological postures that will ultimately enrich Jewish life. This volume offers readers a critical engagement with the trenchant and candid efforts of one of the most thoughtful and earnest voices to emerge from within American Orthodoxy to address the theological and moral concerns that characterize our times. Contents Editors’ Foreword Modern Orthodoxy and the Road Not Taken: A Retrospective View Part One CHAPTER 1 History and Halakhah CHAPTER 2 Rabbi Yitz Greenberg’s Covenantal Theory of Bioethics CHAPTER 3 Irving Greenberg’s Theology of Hybrid Judaism CHAPTER 4 On the Meaning and Significance of Revelation for Orthodox Judaism CHAPTER 5 Divine Hiddenness and Human Input: The Potential Contribution of a Postmodern View of Revelation to Yitz Greenberg’s H CHAPTER 6 Modern Orthodoxy and Religious Truth1 CHAPTER 7 On Revelation, Heresy, and Mesorah—from Louis Jacobs to the TheTorah.com Part Two CHAPTER 8 What Is “Modern” in Modern Orthodoxy? CHAPTER 9 Can Modern Orthodoxy Survive?* CHAPTER 10 Where Have All the Rabbis Gone? The Changing Character of the Orthodox Rabbinate and its Causes CHAPTER 11 Modern Orthodox Responses to the Liberalization of Sexual Mores1 CHAPTER 12 “The Road Not Taken” and “The One Less Traveled”: The Greenberg–Lichtenstein Exchange and Contemporary Orthodoxy Editors and Contributors Index