
This volume is the first complete English translation of Hasdai Crescas's Light of the Lord. Light of the Lord is widely acknowledged as a seminal work of medieval Jewish philosophy and second in importance only to Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed. Crescas takes on not only Maimonides but, through him, Aristotle, and challenges views of physics and metaphysics that had become entrenched in medieval thought. Once the Aristotelian underpinnings of medieval thought are dislodged, Crescas introduces alternative physical views and reinstates the classical Jewish God as a God of love and benefaction rather than a self-intellecting intellect. The end for humankind then is to become attached in love to the God of love through devoted service.
This volume investigates the philosophical challenges posed by Hasdai Crescas to the Aristotelian and Maimonidean frameworks that dominated medieval Jewish thought. Roslyn Weiss, a scholar of medieval philosophy, provides the first complete English translation of this seminal text. The work argues that by dismantling the Aristotelian foundations of physics and metaphysics, Crescas successfully redefines the nature of the divine as a God of love and benefaction rather than a self-intellecting intellect. This shift fundamentally alters the teleological goal of human existence, positioning devoted service and emotional attachment to the divine as the ultimate end for humanity.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and students of medieval philosophy recognize this translation as a vital resource for accessing a text previously restricted by language barriers. Experts highlight this work as a necessary addition to the study of Jewish intellectual history, noting the clarity of Weiss's translation in navigating complex metaphysical arguments.
Page Count:
387
Publication Date:
2018-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191037907
ISBN-13:
9780191037900
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!