
The Book of Doctrines and Beliefs
Saadya Gaon(Author)
Daniel H. Frank(Editor)
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc
Published on 15. September 2002
Book
Hardback
200 pages
978-0-87220-640-3 (ISBN)
Description
Saadya ben Joseph al-Fayyumi (882-942), gaon (head) of the rabbinic academy at Sura and one of the preeminent Jewish thinkers of the medieval period, attempted to create a complete statement of Jewish religious philosophy in which all strands of philosophical thought were to be knit into a unified system.
In The Book of Doctrines and Beliefs, Saadya sought to rescue believers from "a sea of doubt and the waters of confusion" into which they had been cast by Christianity, Islam, and other faiths. By employing philosophical--or kalamic--argumentation to examine and defend traditional Jewish beliefs, Saadya hoped to turn blind faith into conviction based on rational understanding.
First published in 1946, and reprinted here without alteration, Alexander Altmann's judicious abridgment of his own translation has remained the standard edition of this influential work. A new Introduction by Daniel Frank sets Saadya's work in its broader historical, cultural, and philosophical contexts.
In The Book of Doctrines and Beliefs, Saadya sought to rescue believers from "a sea of doubt and the waters of confusion" into which they had been cast by Christianity, Islam, and other faiths. By employing philosophical--or kalamic--argumentation to examine and defend traditional Jewish beliefs, Saadya hoped to turn blind faith into conviction based on rational understanding.
First published in 1946, and reprinted here without alteration, Alexander Altmann's judicious abridgment of his own translation has remained the standard edition of this influential work. A new Introduction by Daniel Frank sets Saadya's work in its broader historical, cultural, and philosophical contexts.
Reviews / Votes
Daniel Frank's Introduction is excellent, not just for the undergraduate reader, but, indeed, for any reader, specialist or layperson. It manages to find just the right combination of philosophy and history; it sends the reader to the right places for further reading; its judgments are quite sound. And the reissue of the Altmann translation is a wonderful idea. --Charles Manekin, University of MarylandMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, MA
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Weight
340 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-87220-640-3 (9780872206403)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
The late Alexander Altmann (1906-87) was the Director of the Lown Institute of Advanced Judaic Studies, Brandeis University.
Daniel H. Frank is Professor of Philosophy, University of Kentucky.
Daniel H. Frank is Professor of Philosophy, University of Kentucky.