
Joseph Albo on Free Choice
Exegetical Innovation in Medieval Jewish Philosophy
Shira Weiss(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 21. September 2017
Book
Hardback
232 pages
978-0-19-068442-6 (ISBN)
Description
Joseph Albo on Free Choice discovers unsuspected philosophical originality in the interpretations of biblical narrative found in Joseph Albo's Book of Principles, one of the most popular Hebrew works in the corpus of medieval Jewish philosophy. Several of Albo's exegetical analyses focus on free choice, which emerges as a conceptual scheme throughout his work. An exploration of Albo's innovative homiletical interpretations of the binding of Isaac, the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, the Book of Job, and God's choice of Israel, reveals his view of free choice which was significant during a historical period of religious coercion. Albo's sole surviving responsum dealing with the case of the qatlanit further demonstrates his philosophical position. In this new book, Shira Weiss shows that in the medieval era in which Albo lived, free choice was an important topic, subject to vehement debate that has continued to be contested in modern philosophy.
Reviews / Votes
[T]he author shows very convincingly that without a serious understanding of the way that Albo interpreted the different parts of the Bible, we cannot completely understand his unique opinion on free choice. * Ben Gurion, Journal of Religion * Weiss's basic observation is very accurate: the philosophical implications of exegesis were indeed neglected by scholars of medieval Jewish philosophy, while one of the main characteristics of this corpus is the intertwining of philosophy with the interpretation of biblical and rabbinical texts. It is to Weiss's merit that he offers an exploration of Albo's contribution to this field through a meticulous study of exegetical passages of the Book of Principle. * David Lemler, Reading Religion *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
514 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-068442-6 (9780190684426)
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
Additional editions

E-Book
08/2017
OUP eBook
€63.49
Available for download

E-Book
08/2017
OUP eBook
€49.99
Available for download
Person
Dr. Shira Weiss teaches medieval and modern Jewish philosophy at Yeshiva University. She is a fellow in Templeton's project on philosophic theology, as well as Templeton's Abrahamic Sci-Rel project. Her current research is on ethics in the Bible.
Content
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Medieval Conceptions of Free Choice
Chapter 3 The Binding of Isaac
Chapter 4 The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart
Chapter 5 The Book of Job
Chapter 6 The Choice of Israel
Chapter 7 Responsa
Chapter 8 Conclusions
Appendix
Bibliography
Chapter 2 Medieval Conceptions of Free Choice
Chapter 3 The Binding of Isaac
Chapter 4 The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart
Chapter 5 The Book of Job
Chapter 6 The Choice of Israel
Chapter 7 Responsa
Chapter 8 Conclusions
Appendix
Bibliography