Teaching Jewish philosophy: Materials, methods, and meaning

Abstract

There are numerous conceptions of Jewish philosophy (or, if you will, Jewish thought—more on terminology later), and which readings a teacher assigns depends in large measure on which conception that teacher is utilizing. Is Jewish philosophy the history of a canon featuring Saadya, Bahya, Halevi, Maimonides, and others? Is it a philosophical explication of concepts and claims found in classic texts, such as Tanakh, Talmud, and Midrash? Is it an assessment of those concepts and claims? Is it the attempt to create new ideas that touch base with the old texts? Is it the quest to define the meaning of Jewish existence in the contemporary world, especially in light of the Holocaust and the rise of the State of Israel? Is it the study of contemporary thinkers? Or, finally, is it the application of Jewish philosophical (and not only legal) concepts to concrete social issues? (from Introduction)