Hasdai Crescas on Codification, Cosmology and Creation: The Infinite God and the Expanding Torah: 33 (Supplements to the Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy)

Ari Ackerman

ISBN 10: 9004518649 / ISBN 13: 9789004518643

Published by BRILL, 2022

About this Item

234 pages. 9.25x6.25x0.75 inches. In Stock. This item is printed on demand.

Seller Inventory # __9004518649

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Hasdai Crescas on Codification, Cosmology and Creation: The Infinite God and the Expanding Torah: 33 (Supplements to the Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy)
• Publisher: BRILL
• Publication Date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9004518649
• ISBN 13: 9789004518643
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Brand New
• Weight: 0.54 kilograms

About this title

Synopsis

This work focuses on the conception of God of the medieval Jewish philosopher and legal scholar, Hasdai Crescas (1340-1410/11). It demonstrates that Crescas’ God is infinitely creative and good and explores the parallel that Crescas implicitly draws between God as creator and legislator, which is rooted in his understanding of the Deity as continuously involved in generative activity through the outpouring of goodness and love as manifest by multiple, simultaneous and successive worlds and a perpetually expanding Torah. It also reviews the Maimonidean background for Crescas’ position and suggests that Crescas is countering Maimonides’ stance that creation is limited to a single moment and Maimonides’ notion of the Torah as perfect and immutable.

About the Author

Dr. Ari Ackerman is a professor in Jewish philosophy and education at Schechter Institute in Jerusalem and the incumbent of the Golinkin Chair in TALI Jewish Education. He received his Ph.D. in Jewish thought from Hebrew University and he published a critical edition of the sermons of Zerahia Halevi Saledin (Beer Sheva University Press, 2013).