- Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, Ben-Gurion Universityedit
I list four suggestions for ways Gash might consider refining and advancing his target article: Defending RC as being needed, attending more to mystical traditions, clarifying mystical traditions …
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In ‘The Will to Believe’, the religious hypothesis for William James says, first, ‘that the best things are the more eternal things’, and second, ‘that we are better off now if we believe her first affirmation to be true’ (p.26) He later... more
In ‘The Will to Believe’, the religious hypothesis for William James says, first, ‘that the best things are the more eternal things’, and second, ‘that we are better off now if we believe her first affirmation to be true’ (p.26) He later qualifies the first affirmation: ‘The more perfect and more eternal aspect of the universe is represented in our religions as having personal form’ (p.27).
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... [Access article in PDF] Buber's Blunder: Buber's Replies to Scholem and Schatz-Uffenheimer.Jerome Gellman. ... Who can blame him? 53. Ben-Gurion University Of The Negev. Jerome Gellman is Professor of... more
... [Access article in PDF] Buber's Blunder: Buber's Replies to Scholem and Schatz-Uffenheimer.Jerome Gellman. ... Who can blame him? 53. Ben-Gurion University Of The Negev. Jerome Gellman is Professor of Philosophy at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. ...
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In her important work, Hasidism as Mysticism: Quietistic Elements in Eighteenth Century Hasidic Thought, the late Rivkah Schatz-Uffenheimer depicted early eighteenth-century Hasidism as a movement with pronounced ‘quietist tendencies’. In... more
In her important work, Hasidism as Mysticism: Quietistic Elements in Eighteenth Century Hasidic Thought, the late Rivkah Schatz-Uffenheimer depicted early eighteenth-century Hasidism as a movement with pronounced ‘quietist tendencies’. In this paper I raise several difficulties with this thesis. These follow from social-activist features of early Hasidism as well as from a selection from the writings of leading early Hasidic masters. I conclude that a major stream of thought in early Hasidim was not quietist in tendency. Finally, I compare the intentions of the masters I cite to some non-quietist themes in Eastern mystical thought.
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In modern usage, “mysticism” refers to mystical experience and to practices, discourse, institutions, and traditions associated therewith. The term “mystical experience” enjoys a great variety of meanings, retaining some of that variety... more
In modern usage, “mysticism” refers to mystical experience and to practices, discourse, institutions, and traditions associated therewith. The term “mystical experience” enjoys a great variety of meanings, retaining some of that variety among philosophers. There is no choice but to stipulate meaning for the purposes of this article. A wide definition of “mystical experience” will be more in the spirit of how it figures in general culture, and a narrow definition will echo a meaning common among philosophers. In the wide sense, mystical experiences occur within the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Indian religions, Buddhism, and primal religions. In most of these traditions, the experiences are allegedly of a supersensory reality, such as God, Brahman, or, as in some Buddhist traditions, Nirvana.
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Religious Studies 37, 109-122 Printed in the United Kingdom C 2001 Cambridge University Press ... Matthew C. Bagger Religious Experience, Justification, and History. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999). Pp. ix + 238. ?37.50... more
Religious Studies 37, 109-122 Printed in the United Kingdom C 2001 Cambridge University Press ... Matthew C. Bagger Religious Experience, Justification, and History. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999). Pp. ix + 238. ?37.50 (Hbk). ISBN 0 521 62255 7.
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Research Interests: Philosophy and Judaism
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In what follows I wish to make a contribution to the clarification of the logic of the name ‘God’. I will do so in two stages. In the first stage I will be investigating the meaning of names in general, and how names refer. In the second... more
In what follows I wish to make a contribution to the clarification of the logic of the name ‘God’. I will do so in two stages. In the first stage I will be investigating the meaning of names in general, and how names refer. In the second stage I will attempt to apply the findings of the first stage to the name ‘God’, in light of the way that name functions in religious discourse.
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In this paper I defend the possibility that a ‘contented religious exclusivist’, will be fully rational and not neglectful of any of her epistemic duties when faced with the world’s religious diversity. I present an epistemic strategy for... more
In this paper I defend the possibility that a ‘contented religious exclusivist’, will be fully rational and not neglectful of any of her epistemic duties when faced with the world’s religious diversity. I present an epistemic strategy for reflecting on one's beliefs and then present two features of religious belief that make contented exclusivism a rational possibility. I then argue against the positions of John Hick, David Basinger, and Steven Wykstra on contented exclusivism, and criticize an overly optimistic conception of rationality. Finally, I describe a contented exclusivist who might very well not be fully rational in the face of religious diversity.
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This article argues that everlasting God can be in boredom, but cannot fall into boredom. Hence, the argument by Andric and Tanyi (2017) in this journal that God could not be everlasting in time, because God would fall into boredom, is... more
This article argues that everlasting God can be in boredom, but cannot fall into boredom. Hence, the argument by Andric and Tanyi (2017) in this journal that God could not be everlasting in time, because God would fall into boredom, is shown to be unsound, since it is logically impossible for God to fall into boredom.
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Hasidism would seem to be a most unlikely place to find a hook on which to hang a contemporary Jewish theology that takes into account biblical criticism. Yet that is exactly where I am going to go in what follows, to present what I take... more
Hasidism would seem to be a most unlikely place to find a hook on which to hang a contemporary Jewish theology that takes into account biblical criticism. Yet that is exactly where I am going to go in what follows, to present what I take to be a position that ...
Research Interests: Philosophy, Theology, Political Science, Revelation, Midrash, and 3 moreJudaism, Modern Judaism, and Torah
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Todd C. Moody , Does God Exist? Reviewed by.
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Timothy A. Robinson, ed. , God Reviewed by.
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Ben-Gurion University of the Yegev 111 this paper I shall be discussing three views concerning tile cognitive status of theoretical entities in scientific theory, and three parallel views concerning tile cognitive status of God in... more
Ben-Gurion University of the Yegev 111 this paper I shall be discussing three views concerning tile cognitive status of theoretical entities in scientific theory, and three parallel views concerning tile cognitive status of God in religious discourse. My aim will be to ...
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Page 1. ASHGATE Abraham! Abraham! Kierkegaard and the Hasidim on the Binding of Isaac JEROME I. GELLMAN Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page 5. ABRAHAM! ABRAHAM! This One JPQL-X9F-FYPS Page 6. Page 7. Abraham! Abraham! ...
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I urge philosophers of religion to investigate far more vigorously than they have until now the acceptability of varied components of the world religions and their epistemological underpinnings. By evaluating “acceptability” I mean... more
I urge philosophers of religion to investigate far more vigorously than they have until now the acceptability of varied components of the world religions and their epistemological underpinnings. By evaluating “acceptability” I mean evaluation of: truth, morality, spiritual efficacy and human flourishing, in fact any value religious devotees might think significant to their religious lives. Secondly, I urge that philosophers of religion give more attention to what scholars have called the “esoteric” level of world religions, including components of strong ineffability, weak ineffability, and an alleged perennial philosophy. All this should involve a cooperative effort between analytic, comparative, and feminist philosophy of religion.
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This chapter details how the author addresses the ‘godlessness’ of Buddhism, striving to understand Buddhism's benefits for Jews and their spiritual consciousness. As a traditionalist proceeding from a position of ‘religious... more
This chapter details how the author addresses the ‘godlessness’ of Buddhism, striving to understand Buddhism's benefits for Jews and their spiritual consciousness. As a traditionalist proceeding from a position of ‘religious exclusivist receptivity’, the author has learned about holiness from Buddhist spirituality in ways he, as a Jew, could not have imagined. Buddhism's aversion to metaphysical ontologizing and its non-theism have helped him shed the agonies of ‘the egocentric predicament’, functioning similarly to the hasidic concept of bitul hayesh (nullification of being). Paradoxically, this godless religion has taught him to focus his attention more successfully on the Jewish God — the permanent, infinite reality that transcends the human ego. It also helps him to understand the Jewish people's chosenness correctly, purged from nation-centrism and national self-absorption. The experiential and spiritual are primary here, while the formal theological issues of ‘alien worship’ that Buddhism may entail are secondary concerns.
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I present my personal Jewish theology of Jesus. Jesus is a high soul who came to this world ahead of his time. This caused amazement as well as chaos. There will be a later historical event when the world will be ready to heed his... more
I present my personal Jewish theology of Jesus. Jesus is a high soul who came to this world ahead of his time. This caused amazement as well as chaos. There will be a later historical event when the world will be ready to heed his teachings.
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This chapter presents an approach to religious truth and to telic truth while explaining how this strategy functions in interreligious understanding. It then turns to defend the face of three widely held objections to the author's... more
This chapter presents an approach to religious truth and to telic truth while explaining how this strategy functions in interreligious understanding. It then turns to defend the face of three widely held objections to the author's position: the expressionist objection, the nativity objection, and the postmodernist objection. The chapter offers a philosophical analysis of religious truth and own defence of a correspondence-based understanding of truth. It states that the falsity of a core belief of another religion means that to that belief there corresponds no objective, independent state of affairs, hence, a correspondence view of religious truth. The chapter explores the meaning of religious truth within the framework of a broader philosophical discussion that is not particular to Judaism. Judaism provides the specific instance for statements of broader context and appeal. Finally, it elaborates a detailed and careful presentation of Jewish belief in a very rough and schematic...
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This article argues that everlasting God can be in boredom, but cannot fall into boredom. Hence, the argument by Andric and Tanyi (2017) in this journal that God could not be everlasting in time, because God would fall into boredom, is... more
This article argues that everlasting God can be in boredom, but cannot fall into boredom. Hence, the argument by Andric and Tanyi (2017) in this journal that God could not be everlasting in time, because God would fall into boredom, is shown to be unsound, since it is logically impossible for God to fall into boredom.
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Research Interests: Philosophy and Theism
Research Interests: Philosophy and Routledge
I present my personal Jewish theology of Jesus. Jesus is a high soul who came to this world ahead of his time. This caused amazement as well as chaos. There will be a later historical event when the world will be ready to heed his... more
I present my personal Jewish theology of Jesus. Jesus is a high soul who came to this world ahead of his time. This caused amazement as well as chaos. There will be a later historical event when the world will be ready to heed his teachings.
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Page 1. Re-Identifying God in Experience Jerome I. Gellman Ben-Gurion University of the Negev ABSTRACT: If an alleged experience of God can constitute evidence for God's existence, then it must be possible for God to be ...
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In Philosophical Explanations, Robert Nozick aims to present an analysis of knowledge not susceptible to Gettier-type objections, as well as to other types of objections. He means to accomplish this by introducing subjunctive conditionals... more
In Philosophical Explanations, Robert Nozick aims to present an analysis of knowledge not susceptible to Gettier-type objections, as well as to other types of objections. He means to accomplish this by introducing subjunctive conditionals into his analysis. In this note I show by way of a counter-example that Nozick’s analysis in terms of subjunctive conditionals does not turn back all Gettier-type examples. My counterexample raises broader questions whether any “subjunctive analysis” will do the trick. Nozick’s idea is that when S knows p there must be “the right kind of causal connection” between p’s being true and S’s believing p to be true. This idea is unpacked further by saying that S’s belief that p must be sensitive to p’s falsity and must be sensitive to p’s truth. These two sayings, respectively, are then formulated as subjunctive conditionals as follows: