Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors
Note on Transliteration

Preface - Eugene Korn

Introduction: Towards a Jewish Theology of World Religions: Framing the Issues - ALON GOSHEN-GOTTSTEIN

Part I Philosophical Perspectives on Jewish Pluralism
1 Jewish Views of World Religions: Four Models - ALAN BRILL
2 Justifying Inter-Religious Pluralism - AVI SAGI
3 Pluralism out of the Sources of Judaism: The Quest for Religious Pluralism without Relativism - RAPHAEL JOSPE
4 Respectful Disagreement: Reply to Raphael Jospe - JOLENE S. KELLNER and MENACHEM KELLNER

Part II Judaism and the Other
5 Can Another Religion Be Seen as the Other? - STANISLAW KRAJEWSKI
6 The Violence of the Neutral - MEIR SENDOR
7 Jewish Liturgical Memory and the Non-Jew: Past Realities and Future Possibilities - RUTH LANGER

Part III Judaism and World Religions
8 Rethinking Christianity: Rabbinic Positions and Possibilities - EUGENE KORN
9 Maimonides’ Treatment of Christianity and its Normative Implications - DAVID NOVAK
10 The Banished Brother: Islam in Jewish Thought and Faith - PAUL FENTON
11 Encountering Hinduism: Thinking Through Avodah zarah - ALON GOSHEN GOTTSTEIN
12 Judaism and Buddhism: A Jewish Approach to a Godless Religion - JEROME (YEHUDA) GELLMAN

Concluding Reflections - ALON GOSHEN-GOTTSTEIN

Index

About the Author

Alon Goshen-Gottstein is the founder and director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute. He is the author of Same God, Other God, Judaism, Hinduism and the Problem of Idolatry (2016), Religious Genius: Appreciating Outstanding Individuals Across Traditions (2017), Luther the Antisemite: A Contemporary Jewish Perspective (2018), and Coronaspection: World Religious Leaders Reflect on Covid-19 (2020), and the editor of Covenant and World Religions: Irving Greenberg, Jonathan Sacks, and the Quest for Orthodox Pluralism (Littman Library, 2024). Eugene Korn is academic director of the Center for Jewish–Christian Understanding and Cooperation in Efrat, where he is co-director of the Institute for Theological Inquiry. He is editor of 'Meorot: A Forum for Modern Orthodox Discourse.'

Reviews

Reviews 'An indispensable title for graduate and undergraduate programmes emphasizing world religions and interfaith/interreligious dialogue . . . Highly recommended.'
R.A. Boisclair, Choice

'These skilfully edited essays are rich food for reflection and future work . . . It is this kind of creative thinking—regardless of past historical experiences and the foundational texts of the Jewish religious tradition . . . that might well prove a substantial breakthrough in both the present and the future for all religious communities in contact with each other . . . Goshen-Gottstein and Korn are to be commended for assembling the scholars initially in a conference and joining them together in this volume. One hopes that this project is only the beginning of several volumes addressing the multitude of questions, observation, and insights raised herein.'
Steven L. Jacobs, H-Judaic

'Superb . . . nothing less than a conspectus of the critical issues that Jews face when relating to Christians and Muslims—and, yes, to Buddhists and Hindus as well . . . Rare is the anthology of essays that holds together thematically, but this book is a happy exception—well organized, with the essays carefully curated. It moves seamlessly from a general discussion of Jewish philosophical perspectives on pluralism to empirical treatments of Judaism and the “Other” to a series of culminating essays on Judaism and Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism . . . breaks new ground in our understanding of other faiths from a Jewish perspective . For this contribution, theologians, halakhists, religious communal leadership, and lay readers should offer prayers of thanksgiving.'
Jerome A. Chanes, Jewish Ideas Daily

'Every so often a book comes along that clarifies something you've been thinking about but which has never presented a clear path to understanding. This is one of those happy occurrences. If you've been wondering how Judaism relates to the other great religions of the world, and how this religious pluralism affects contemporary Jews and their sense of identity, [this book] is the place to look . . . The two editors of this volume hold outstanding credentials . . . the writing is solid and the ideas accessible.'
Linda F. Burghardt, Jewish Book World

'The rich volume under review portrays theological reflections on Jewish identity, Jewish norms concerning other religions, and Jewish relations with non-Jewish “others” . . . also new perspectives are offered and there is a sincere search of possible inspiration from other religions.'
Ephraim Meir, Modern Judaism

'The rudiments of Jewish theology were established in the biblical, Talmudic, and medieval eras, yet, while the world has substantially progressed from those times, Orthodox Jewish theology has not. Goshen-Gottstein and Korn recognized this dilemma, and responded to it by compiling a thorough and much needed work of Orthodox interfaith theology that addresses twenty-first century Jews. The multiple contributors in this volume each acknowledge that interfaith relationships are profoundly different than they were in the medieval era, and have constructed interfaith theologies in accord with this new reality . . . a Jewish theology of Eastern religions had been keenly lacking, and it is presented here in a sensitive fashion.'
Daniel Ross Goodman, Religious Studies Review