Published by University of Illinois Press
Jews, Judaism, and Success: How religion paved the way to modern Jewish achievement
Pages: 480
Paper: $49.95
ISBN 9781487548230
Jews, Judaism, and Success
How religion paved the way to modern Jewish achievement
In Jews, Judaism and Success, religion scholar Robert Eisen attempts to solve a fascinating and tantalizing mystery that he argues has never been adequately explained: the record of accomplishments that Jews have amassed in the economic, intellectual, and artists realms in the modern Western world. Eisen’s explanation for this phenomenon is based on the premise that the West itself succeeded in the modern era because it developed several key values: autonomy, freedom of thought, worldliness, and education. Jewish culture, he argues, fostered these same values earlier and in more developed form than the West did, and so Jews were unusually prepared to succeed when they became part of modern Western society.
Eisen wrote this book in spite of the recent rise of antisemitism because “uncovering truths about the human experience past and present is critical for the health of human civilization.” Exploring the question of Jewish success is particularly instructive because it involves “fundamental issues regarding the success of the Western world as whole.”
Jews, Judaism, and Success is written in a conversational style, without academic jargon, and with explanations for specialized terms and concepts. It is written for Jews and non-Jews, Westerners and non-Westerners, and for curious readers of all backgrounds who are likely to benefit from meaningful discussions about how we understand and measure success in the modern world and why one group has been particularly adept at achieving it.
Praise
“This is an exemplary comparative study of the interplay of religion and culture in pre- and early modern Christianity and Judaism, in which Eisen eschews essentializing formulations and gives all due consideration to the diversity of views within the two traditions. His book will contribute significantly to the ongoing reassessment of the influence and importance of Rabbinic Judaism in Jewish history.”
Ordinary Professor of Religious Ethics, The Catholic University of America
“Every Jewish day school educator and lay stakeholder–whether Secular, Reform, Conservative, Community,or Modern Orthodox–should read this book as a guide to creating an impactful curriculum; one that will strengthen our next generation of Jews…”
Managing Director of the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge, Chevy Chase, Maryland
“This highly readable volume, which draws from a vast literature that ranges from the ancient to the contemporary and across multiple disciplines, should be required reading for those seeking to understand how any disenfranchised minority can overcome historic obstacles and nevertheless reach the highest levels of achievement.”
Former Under Secretary of Defense, USA; author of The Prince and the Emperors: The Life and Times of Rabbi Judah the Prince
“Robert Eisen has asked a question that has intrigued Jews and non-Jews alike, and he offers answers that pierce the biases so often at play. Without fear and without polemic, he suggests through sober analysis that the disproportionate success of Jews in modern Western culture can be traced to values that have shaped Jewish and Western society for millennia. This book is both an answer to antisemitic tropes and an affirmation of the common ground that influences Christian and Jewish consciousness. His thesis is provocative, and his conclusions demand renewed engagement with the enduring legacy of Rabbinic Judaism. This is great news for rabbis and scholars of Judaism, each of whom, I believe, is obligated to consider the contributions of Eisen’s book. But it is even better news for those who seek insight into how to expand the ability of society and all of its participants to thrive.”
Rabbi Emeritus, Agudas Achim Congregation, Alexandria, Virginia; President Emeritus, Interfaith Alliance
“This bold, erudite, and provocative attempt to explain Jews’ disproportionate success in the Modern Period may not persuade all readers, but will challenge, inform, and instruct them. Eisen’s comparison between Jewish and Christian approaches to key cultural values, and his case for Rabbinic Judaism’s lingering impact should reopen debate on subjects that more timid academics have been loath to engage.”
University Professor and Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor, Brandeis University, and author of American Judaism: A History
“In this provocative book, Robert Eisen demonstrates that traditional religious values cannot be simply washed out by the tidal waves of modernity. They run much deeper, into the conscious as well as unconscious operations of the modern minds, and they exert powerful influences even on those who are staunchly committed to secularism. Eisen’s story of Jewish success thus not only offers a new understanding of Rabbinic Judaism in the making of the Western world. More pertinently, it compels us to rethink the role of religion for all peoples who have undergone sea changes of reforms and revolutions in modern history.”
Associate Professor of Chinese Religion, Department of Religion The George Washington University
“In this thoughtful and important book, Robert Eisen tackles a delicate yet vital question – the reasons for Jewish economic and cultural prominence in the modern western world. Eisen makes a convincing case for the long term influences of Jewish religious civilization on generations of secularizing Jews. Clearly written, carefully argued, and thoroughly researched, this book deserves a wide readership and lively discussion.”
William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History, Harvard University
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