Basic Judaism

Online version:

I. Preliminaries. The nature of Judaism; The time factor; The meaning of "basic"; Traditionalists and modernists

II. Conclusions. The end of the matter

III. Torah. The Torah-book; The book as book; The Torah-tradition; Torah-traditionalist view; Torah-modernist view

IV. God. Creeds; The knowledge of God; The limits of knowledge; What Judaism says about God; Other attributes of God; Envisagements; The great shadow; Between God and man

V. The Good Life. The goodness of life; Man-and his will; The nature of the good; Between man and God; The duties of the heart; Grandeur and lowliness; Body and soul; Between and and his fellow; Morality for society; Man the citizen; The shadow of sin

VI. Israel and the Nations. Israel-traditionalist conceptions; Israel-modernist reinterpretation; Land and language; Non-Jews; Other religions; Judaism on Jesus; Judaism and Christianity; The particular and the universal

VII. Practices. The bridge of prayer; Worship; Preconditions for prayer; The efficacy of prayer; The daily regimen; "These ye may eat ... "; The sacred round; The life cycle; Whys and wherefore; Modernist variations on the ritual theme

VIII. Law. The law in Judaism; Applied idealism; The two viewpoints

IX. Institutions. The synagogue; The rabbinate

X. World-To-Come. The triple hope; The destiny of man; The kingdom of God; Messiah

Epilogue. First and last