New Atheism and Jewish Philosophy: An Analytical Study of William E. Kaufman's Perspective on the Existence of God
Abstract
This article examines William E. Kaufman's Jewish philosophical response to the New Atheists' arguments against the existence of God. It focuses on the criticisms of New Atheists concerning God, evolution, faith and the problem of evil and analyses Kaufman's replies from the perspective of contemporary Jewish philosophy. Kaufman argues that the existence of God is a metaphysical rather than a scientific question and therefore cannot be resolved by empirical science alone. He further maintains that evolutionary theory does not necessarily lead to atheism and that faith cannot be reduced to belief without evidence. Drawing on the thought of Milton Steinberg, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Martin Buber, Emmanuel Levinas and Mordecai M. Kaplan, Kaufman presents alternative Jewish understandings of God based on rational reflection, religious experience, ethical responsibility and divine creativity. Using a qualitative and analytical approach, this study concludes that Kaufman's work offers a significant Jewish philosophical contribution to the contemporary debate on the existence of God by challenging the assumptions of scientific materialism and presenting belief in God as a coherent and intellectually defensible worldview.
Keywords
- New Atheism
- Jewish Philosophy
- Existence of God
- Faith and Reason
- Divine Creativity
- Contemporary Jewish Theology
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Bibliography and cited literature of the article
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1
Kaufinan, William E., A Jewish Philosophical Response to the New Atheists, Lewiston: The Edwin MellenPress, 2014, P.15
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2
Ibid
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3
Ibid, PP.26-28
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4
Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2008, PP.72-73
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5
Kaufinan, William E., A Jewish Philosophical Response to the New Atheists, P.51
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6
Ibid, P.51
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7
Ibid, P.45
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8
Ibid, P.46; Keith Ward, Is Religion Dangerous?, Michigan; Eerdsman Publishing Co., 2006, P.90
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9
Ibid, P.99; Milton Steinberg, Anatomy of Faith, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1960, P.89
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10
Ibid, P.106; Heschel, Between God and Man, New York: Harper, 1959, P.49
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11
The term ontological derives from the Greek ontos meaning being.
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12
Kaufinan, William E., A Jewish Philosophical Response to the New Atheists, PP.106-107; Kaufinan, William E., Contemporary Jewish Philosophies. New York: University Press of America, 1985, P.63
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13
Ibid, P.112; Martin Buber, Eclipse of God, New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1952, P.136
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14
Ibid, P.68
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15
Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion, P.151
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16
Kaufinan, William E., A Jewish Philosophical Response to the New Atheists, PP.55-56
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17
Ibid, P.53; Gordon D. Kaufman, In Face of Mystery, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1993, PP.264-280
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18
Ibid; Mordecai M. Kaplan, The Meaning of God in Modern Jewish Religion, New York: The Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation, 1947, P.321
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19
Ibid, P.121
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20
Ibid, PP.59-60; Dawkins, A Devil's Chaplain, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2004
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21
Ibid, P.100
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22
Ibid; Simon Noveck, Milton Steinberg: Portrait of a Rabbi, New York: KTAV, 1978, P.144
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23
Sam Harris, The End of Faith, NY: W. W. Norton, 2005, PP.15-29
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24
Kaufinan, William E., A Jewish Philosophical Response to the New Atheists, PP.95-96
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25
Ibid, P.89; Paul Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, New York: Harper Torchbook, 1958, P.1
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26
Ibid, P.90; Gershom Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, New York: Schocken Books, 1941
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27
Ibid, P.101; Milton Steinberg, Anatomy of Faith, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1960, P.104
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28
Ibid, P.93; John Hick, Faith and Knowledge, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1961
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29
Ibid, P.96; Dean Overman, The Case fot the Existence of God, Lanham: Roman and Littlefield, 2009, P.7
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30
Ibid, P.94
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31
Ibid, P.114-115; Wild, Introduction to Emmanuel Levinas, Totality and Infinity, Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1961, P.16
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32
Ibid, P.127
