The Case for Comparison: Moses Mendelssohn and the Religious Enlightenment

Between Judaism and German Enlightenment: Recent Work on Moses Mendelssohn in English

“…He writes of a 'Mendelssohn Myth' which came about by Mendelssohn having been studied 'primarily or even exclusively from his German works.' 76 According to Sorkin, by focusing on Mendelssohn's German works and ignoring or marginalizing his Hebrew writings scholars 'Germanified' Mendelssohn interpreting him primarily as an Enlightenment philosopher and only secondarily as a Jewish thinker. Furthermore, by interpreting the Enlightenment as a fundamentally anti-religious phenomenon, they came to regard Mendelssohn's Judaism as in tension with his commitment to Enlightenment.…”

“…The Andalusian tradition promotes a 'broad curriculum' that includes the study of 'philosophy and biblical exegesis, Hebrew language, and rabbinical literature,' and it is an exoteric tradition, rejecting 'the search for ultimate truths or secret wisdom.' 81 As one recent critic has noted, the concept of 'practical wisdom' is the linchpin of Sorkin's Mendelssohn interpretation. 82 In speaking of 'practical wisdom,' Sorkin emphasizes the fact that for Mendelssohn contemplation is not an end in itself, but rather that knowledge is of value to the extent that it impacts lived existence.…”

Jewish Anticlericalism and the Making of Modern Jewish Politics in Late Enlightenment Prussia and France

“…10 First, doing so adds an analytical layer to the recent scholarship on the relationships between Jewish and non-Jewish attempts to rethink rather than overcome religion in the eighteenth century, such as David Sorkin's work on Moses Mendelssohn and the religious Enlightenment. 11 In contrast to Sorkin's approach, my analysis focuses not on the transfer of epistemological and theological models across denominational and linguistic boundaries but on the translation of polemics from one context to another. 12 Religious enlighteners-within a Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish framework-shared not just ideas on the nature of religion but also examples of religious pathologies across borders and religious cultures.…”

Littéralité et commentaire dans le Biour de Mendelssohn

“…Cela rappelle la distinction que les tenants de la révolution copernicienne : Galilée, Kepler, Bruno, Campanella, Spinoza avaient établi entre la physique et la théologie, la Bible, disaient-t-ils en substance, n'est pas un manuel de chimie 58 . Mais David Sorkin, qui veut faire de Mendelssohn à tout prix une sorte de fidéiste et pragmatiste, exagère l'importance de cette remarque 59 . Il faut se rappeler que Mendelssohn l'a énoncée dans un contexte où il défend lui-même une thèse à peine moins spéculative.…”