
The Spiritual Resistance of Rabbi Leo Baeck
Psychoanalysis and Religion
Paul Marcus(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 31. March 2025
Book
Hardback
108 pages
978-1-032-87759-4 (ISBN)
Description
The Spiritual Resistance of Rabbi Leo Baeck provides an overview of the life of Dr. Leo Baeck (1873-1956), a German-Jewish rabbi, theologian, historian and Holocaust survivor, from a psychoanalytic perspective.
Paul Marcus approaches Baeck's life and intellectual/theological contribution as it interfaces with a broadly defined psychoanalysis. This book describes and explains how Baeck maintained the rudiments of his autonomy, integration and humanity while remaining in Nazi Germany and while in the ghetto Theresienstadt, displaying astonishing courage, character, and goodness-a triumph of a civilized person amidst Nazi brutality. Marcus also considers psychic resilience and moral psychology and assesses contemporary criticisms of Baeck.
The Spiritual Resistance of Rabbi Leo Baeck will be of interest to academics and scholars of psychoanalytic studies, spirituality, Jewish studies and resistance. It will also appeal to psychoanalysts in training and in practice.
Paul Marcus approaches Baeck's life and intellectual/theological contribution as it interfaces with a broadly defined psychoanalysis. This book describes and explains how Baeck maintained the rudiments of his autonomy, integration and humanity while remaining in Nazi Germany and while in the ghetto Theresienstadt, displaying astonishing courage, character, and goodness-a triumph of a civilized person amidst Nazi brutality. Marcus also considers psychic resilience and moral psychology and assesses contemporary criticisms of Baeck.
The Spiritual Resistance of Rabbi Leo Baeck will be of interest to academics and scholars of psychoanalytic studies, spirituality, Jewish studies and resistance. It will also appeal to psychoanalysts in training and in practice.
Reviews / Votes
"Paul Marcus has written a compelling book on the life and work of one of the "saintly" men of the twentieth century. He provides a summoning argument for how Baeck maintained his autonomy, integration and humanity during the Holocaust. And what psychoanalysis can learn from better understanding this extraordinary man's use of religion and spirituality to conduct himself with dignity and self-respect, and yet remain fully responsible for his fellow humans. Marcus has begun an important conversation on the psychology of goodness." - Michael Eigen, Ph.D. Author, Contact with the Depths, Faith, and The Sensitive Self"Paul Marcus has brought the perspectives of an eminent psychoanalyst to bear on the complex life and thought of Rabbi Dr. Leo Baeck. He illuminates the difficult experiences of Baeck under the Nazis and in Theresienstadt in a unique way, leading to a much greater understanding of Baeck's navigation of his impossible circumstances. His conclusions highlighting lessons of Baeck's life for psychoanalysis highlight the ongoing relevance of Baeck's career and thought for today's troubled world." - Lawrence H. Schiffman, Global Distinguished Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University "Paul Marcus has written a compelling book on the life and work of one of the 'saintly' men of the twentieth century. He provides a summoning argument for how Baeck maintained his autonomy, integration and humanity during the Holocaust, and what psychoanalysis can learn from better understanding this extraordinary man's use of religion and spirituality to conduct himself with dignity and self-respect, and yet remain fully responsible for his fellow humans. Marcus has begun an important conversation on the psychology of goodness."
-Michael Eigen, Ph.D., Author, Contact with the Depths, Faith, and The Sensitive Self
"Paul Marcus has brought the perspectives of an eminent psychoanalyst to bear on the complex life and thought of Rabbi Dr. Leo Baeck. He illuminates the difficult experiences of Baeck under the Nazis and in Theresienstadt in a unique way, leading to a much greater understanding of Baeck's navigation of his impossible circumstances. His conclusions highlighting lessons of Baeck's life for psychoanalysis highlight the ongoing relevance of Baeck's career and thought for today's troubled world."
-Lawrence H. Schiffman, Global Distinguished Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University
"...Spir-i-tu-al Resis-tance is a thor-ough exam-i-na-tion of a laud-able Jew-ish fig-ure, and its insights into psy-cho-analy-sis are worth-while for any prac-tic-ing ana-lyst to explore." - Benjamin Selesnick, Jewish Book Council
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Postgraduate, Professional Practice & Development, and Professional Reference
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 8 mm
Weight
349 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-87759-4 (9781032877594)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
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Book
03/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
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E-Book
03/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€55.49
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E-Book
03/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download
Person
Paul Marcus is a training and supervisory analyst at the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis in New York City and co-chairperson of the discussion group Psychoanalysis and Spirituality at the American Psychoanalytic Association. He is the author of Psychoanalysis and Toileting: Minding One's Business and Psychoanalysis and Wisdom: Encountering 'Ethics of the Fathers' (Routledge).
Content
Acknowledgments
1 Introduction 1
2 Spiritual Resistance in Nazi Germany 12
3 Spiritual Resistance in Theresienstadt 40
4 Religious Consciousness and Theological Reflections 66
5 Implications for Psychoanalysis 80
References 95
1 Introduction 1
2 Spiritual Resistance in Nazi Germany 12
3 Spiritual Resistance in Theresienstadt 40
4 Religious Consciousness and Theological Reflections 66
5 Implications for Psychoanalysis 80
References 95