Articles and Reviews by Daniel Rynhold
This chapter considers religious diversity and its philosophical implications. Topics discussed i... more This chapter considers religious diversity and its philosophical implications. Topics discussed include the purported challenge to theism posed by the links between religious diversity and geographical and biographical contingencies; theistic approaches to diversity including exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism, and relativism; and the extent to which religious diversity supports theism.
Re pentance is a uniquely religious concept. Morality may dictate that there are occasions when w... more Re pentance is a uniquely religious concept. Morality may dictate that there are occasions when we ought to apologize to our fellows and even seek their forgiveness when we have wronged them. But the specific cluster of ideas that surround the concept of repentance, such as sinning against God, atonement, and divine punishment, along with the idea that repentance is the culmination of a lengthy spiritual exercise, for want of a better term, is specifically religious. Repentance, as generally conceived, is also a particularly personal matter, something that we engage in as individuals. As Ephraim Urbach noted in relation to the rabbinic view, repentance is "entirely a matter for the individual: he is both its subject and object. "1 1. Ephraim Urbach, "Redemption and Repentance in Talmudic Judaism," in Collected Writings in Jewish Studies, Robert Brody and Moshe D. Herr, eds. ( Jerusalem, 1999), 264.
In the twenty-first century, Modern Orthodox Jews generally live in a pluralistic world. This is ... more In the twenty-first century, Modern Orthodox Jews generally live in a pluralistic world. This is simply a de facto statement; Jews throughout Europe and North America plainly do live in societies that permit groups with very different -and sometimes entirely opposing -belief systems and practices to coexist in a manner that allows for the flourishing of each. Many of us have friends of other religions, of differing denominations within our own, or of no religious faith whatsoever whom we deem to be thoroughly good people. But the question for all religions is whether or not this de facto judgment can be rendered de jure -to what extent can we justify this pluralism from a theological, rather than purely pragmatic, perspective? While we are mostly very grateful for the friendships and freedoms that we enjoy, they depend on a system that grants those same freedoms to others with whom we disagree, sometimes on quite fundamental matters.
In the age-old debate concerning esotericism in The Guide of the Perplexed, the topic of creation... more In the age-old debate concerning esotericism in The Guide of the Perplexed, the topic of creation has probably attracted more scholarly attention than any other.
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Articles and Reviews by Daniel Rynhold