Kirjahaku

In "The Pale God", Katz deals with the relationship between secularism and religious tradition. Katz begins with a description of the secular options as expressed by Israeli intellectuals, which he claims have led to a dead-end, and that new options must be sought. One of the key sources for this option is the works of Spinoza, which Katz explains is unlike Nietzsche's catchphrase 'the death of God'. In his view, Spinoza tried to undermine the authority of religious virtuosos and establish the image of a rational "Pale God". Such changes could channel religious tradition to the basic principles of secular political rule. Katz then sums up his discussion by showing that the secular option is inherent in Israeli society, and fits the type of secularism that Zionism instilled in the Jewish people and complements the traditional trends already deeply rooted there.

Yeshayahu Leibowitz (1903-1994) was an Israeli philosopher and scientist. For decades, his thinking and persona were the embodiment of a Judaism that was vital, rebuking, involved, and committed to all the Jews of Israel. As seen in this book, Leibowitz's far-reaching public statements are not a certain aspect of this thinking, but its very essence. They are the essence of this thinking even when he is seemingly involved with other, distant issues, such as his exegesis of Maimonides and his writings on popular science. These broad vistas are an invitation to those interested in Israel to meet an Israeli thinker who greatly impressed several generations of listeners, and to become acquainted with part of Israel's intellectual life.