About the King's Choice to Build His Palace Right On Top of the Dunghill: ((or, how to conceptualize Jewishly))

While remaining acutely aware of the shortcomings of both Heidegger and Derrida, the writer nevertheless uses insights and terminology from their discourse in the service of exposing the historical and thought trends which have alienated Judaism from what makes it tick. The writer makes the claim the a careful analysis of the final redaction of the Babylonian Talmud points the way towards a retrieval of Judaism's "burning living center" revealed through a study of the character of that final editing of the Babylonian Talmud.

John W. McGinley holds a PhD in Philosophy from Boston College and an MA in Jewish Liberal Studies from Gratz College, Melrose Park, Pa. He was a fulltime professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Scranton from 1970 through 2004. John may be a convert to Judaism with the Hebrew name of “Yochanan ben Avraham.” He understands that his conversion to Judaism via the Conservative Movement is not recognized by the Orthodox and at the present time he is largely in agreement with that Orthodox position. He resides in Boca Raton, Florida.