Jewish thought is a field of Jewish studies that analyzes the themes of Jewish tradition, culture, community, and education throughout the ages from a conceptual point of view. The field often deals with connections, parallels, influences, and tensions between Jewish ideas and those of the wider world through studies of Jewish philosophy, theology, and mysticism. Key topics that are considered in this field include the existence and nature of God, the rationale for religious observance, the purpose of the Jewish people, the demands of Jewish ethics, the bonds between Israel and the Diaspora, the authority of revelation, the relation between faith and reason, and the transmission of Jewish culture across the generations.

What should we do about the needs of humanity versus the reality of climate change? How can we balance individual freedom and collective needs around issues from gun violence to reproductive freedom? What should the relationship be between diaspora and homeland? How can we solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? For centuries, leading thinkers and streams of Jewish traditions have sought to address these and other pressing world questions. By introducing students to Jewish Thought, this course enables students to unlock a series of texts and intellectual currents that utilize Jewish scripture, ethics, philosophy, and law to tackle timeless and timely questions of the human condition.

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