| Franz Rosenzweig Before a moment of transformation (at a Yom Kippur service) Franz Rosenzweig had not thought it possible that the spiritual perception of the "reality of God," of "being alone with God," of the "closeness of God," could be experienced by a person within Judaism of his day. He thought that a true experience of faith calls for a mediator, Jesus. He wrote: We are Christian in everything. We live in a Christian state, attend Christian schools, read Christian books, in short, our whole "culture" rests entirely on a Christian foundation; consequently a man who has nothing holding him back needs only a slight push ...to make him accept Christianity. In Germany today the Jewish religion cannot be "accepted," it has to be grafted on by circumcision, dietary observance, bar mitzvah.... Because I am hungry, must I on principle go on being hungry? On principle? Does principle satisfy hunger? Can being non-religious on principle satisfy a religious need? Or can the empty notation at the registry office, "Religion: Jewish" satisfy a religious need? If I am given the choice between an empty purse and a handful of money, must I choose the purse? Again on principle?
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Franz Rosenzweig, a German Jewish theologian, was one of the early thinkers of the early twentieth century. His book The Star of Redemption recalls his spiritual journey. |
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