Young Scholars Summer Workshop

Location: The Herzl Institute, Jerusalem
Dates: June 12-22, 2017

Project Directors: Yoram Hazony and Joshua Weinstein

The Jewish Philosophical Theology project invites applications from graduate students and recent PhDs for a Young Scholars Bible and Philosophy Workshop in Jerusalem on June 12-22, 2017. Up to 20 students will be accepted to the program, which will be conducted in English by Institute scholars and invited speakers. Participants will attend seminars on philosophical issues in Hebrew Bible as well as Talmud and Midrash (classical rabbinic stories), present response papers, and visit historic sites in Jerusalem.

Philosophical theology uses the tools of philosophical investigation to seek new spiritual knowledge in theological subjects, including God’s nature and relationship to the world, the fundamental nature of reality, and the nature of human beings and human flourishing. Jewish philosophical theology is a distinctive philosophical enterprise that strives for new knowledge in these areas through the philosophical investigation of Jewish texts such as the Hebrew Bible and classical rabbinic literature; the elucidation of specifically Jewish theological concepts and their comparison with theological concepts inherited from other traditions; and the positive construction of theological explanatory frameworks of significance for contemporary Jews, Christians and others.

Lectures and discussions at the Workshop will be on topics such as: “The Bible as Philosophy?” “The Metaphysics of Hebrew Scripture”; “Is the Biblical God Perfect Being?”; “What Does It Mean for God to Speak?”; “Bible as a Tradition of Inquiry”; “Approaching God Through Metaphor”; “God’s Plans, Failures and Alliances”; “Should God Be Our King?”; “Discovering a Name of God”; “Who Makes Things Happen in the Bible?”

Workshop participants will also take part in the sixth international conference in the “Philosophical Investigation of the Hebrew Scriptures, Talmud and Midrash.” The conference topic for this year is “The Revelation at Sinai: What Does Torah From Heaven Mean?” Invited conference speakers include: R. Joshua Amaru, William Abraham, Shawn Zelig Aster, Jonathan Burnside, R. Shalom Carmy, James Diamond, Lenn E. Goodman, Yoram Hazony, Steven Kepnes, and R. Gil Student. More information on the conference can be found here.

All accepted workshop participants will receive meals, free registration for the conference, and a modest stipend. Limited assistance with travel expenses and accommodation is available.

The application deadline is December 31, 2016. Applications should be submitted online through the following link: herzlinstitute.org/en/workshop-application/.

Applications must include:

1. 1-2 page letter of introduction describing your interest in the program
2. Recent cv
3. Letter of recommendation

Applications will be judged by a panel consisting of Yoram Hazony, Josh Weinstein and Dru Johnson. Applications will be judged principally with respect to potential future contributions to the field of Jewish philosophical theology.

Applications are invited from graduate students and recent PhDs of all disciplinary and religious backgrounds.

All additional inquiries should be directed to Gavriel Lakser at gavriell@herzlinstitute.org

This workshop has been made possible by the generous support of the John Templeton Foundation.