From Defender to Critic: The Search for a New Jewish Self

How the world s leading modern Orthodox theologian s struggles with halakhic spirituality reshaped and renewed his foundation of faith.

This is an extraordinary look into David Hartman s spiritual quest to reframe the traditional halakhic system of formalism and authority into one with a greater emphasis on the individual and his or her subjective, experiential role in creating meaningful Judaism.

It traces his painful spiritual evolution from defender of the rule-based system of Jewish law shaped by his teacher Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik to a revolutionary proponent of a theology of empowerment, one that encourages individuals and communities to take greater levels of responsibility for their religious lives. It shows how his goals were not to strip halakha or the past of its authority but to create a space for questioning and critique that allows for the traditionally religious Jew to act out a moral life in tune with modern experience.

In achieving this synthesis of tradition with the sensibilities of contemporary Jewry, Hartman captures precisely what creates vitality in living Judaism and charts the path to nurture its vitality forever.