Jews have not only become equal citizens in Western democracies, they have become leading citizens. And, of course, the reestablishment of the State of Israel has given Jews a political presence in the world they have not had since biblical times. David Novak biblicalcitizendemocracy share on social
As a traditional Jew, I have benefited personally from the hospitality of Chabad Hasidim on many occasions, and I marvel at how many Jews Chabad has brought back to their primordial home. David Novak backbenefitbring Change image and share on social
Foundational autonomy asserts instead that in the most fundamental practical sense, I am my own creator, which means that at the core, I am alone. David Novak assertautonomycore Change image and share on social
Every individual is a person necessarily imbedded in a range of multiple relations, and therefore, no one is really independent in anything but a relative sense; no one is truly autonomous. David Novak autonomousimbedindependent Change image and share on social
If human language, with its logic, is the way God has given us to understand the world, then the Torah must be understood in that same language and with that same logic. David Novak godhumanlanguage Change image and share on social
In deciding among theological views, one should be something of a consequentialist: the choice of one theological position over another should be, if not actually determined, at least heavily conditioned by the fact that it implies a better ethical outcome than the alternatives. David Novak alternativechoicecondition share on social
The Vatican's recognition of the State of Israel in 1997 could not have occurred without John Paul's leadership. David Novak israeljohnleadership Change image and share on social
The theological contacts between Jews and Christians during much of the premodern period are best characterized as disputations. Even when not engaged in face-to-face argumentation, Jews and Christians spoke about each other in essentially disputational terms. David Novak argumentationcharacterizechristian share on social
The relationship between God and his people was always the one having absolute primacy, the one that had basically to determine all human relationships, whether those within the covenanted community itself or those between the covenanted community and the outside world. David Novak absolutebasicallycommunity share on social
Unlike the issue of messiahhood, which arose when Jews and Christians were members of the same religio-political community and spoke the same conceptual language, the issues of the incarnation and the Trinity divide people who are no longer members of the same community and who no longer speak the same language. David Novak arisechristiancommunity share on social