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Jewish Thinkers & Thought 101
It is difficult to speak of a single or official Jewish worldview, theology, or philosophy. Instead, we must speak of Jewish theologies and philosophies: the various and varied religious worldviews articulated during Judaism's long history.
Free Will in Judaism 101
Jewish tradition assumes that our actions are significant.
Medieval Jewish Philosophy: Reason in a Religious Age
The philosophers of the Middle Ages believed they were unearthing existing wisdom, not creating new ideas.
Hardened Hearts: Some Explanations
Medieval commentators suggested justifications for God's hardening Pharaoh's heart.
Free Will Problem in Judaism
The idea that God controls the world, determining the trajectory and details of its history, is strong in Judaism and is one of the theological issues that contributes to the Jewish problem of free will.
Reinterpreting Tefillin
Some interpretations of the meaning of tefillin have faded, and others have been invented to take their place.
Jewish Theology of Business Ethics
Themes and Theology of Business Ethics in the Jewish Tradition. Jewish Business Ethics. Jewish Work and Commerce.
The Free Will Problem: Medieval Approaches
In the Middle Ages, Jewish thinkers struggled to reconcile God's knowledge of the future with human choice.
Modern Jewish Philosophy
Jewish thought in modern times has been shaped by radically new political realities.
The Free Will Problem: Early Solutions
Biblical and rabbinic sources stress both divine determinism and human freedom.
Hardened Hearts: Removing Free Will
The Bible records several problematic instances of God hardening human hearts, seemingly stripping them of free will.
Divine Providence
According to some thinkers, God only watches over people in a general way; according to others, divine providence extends to the minute details of life.