Thunder in the Soul: To Be Known by God

In this illuminating collection, Erlewine (Judaism and the West), professor of religion at Wesleyan, arranges 12 excerpts from the theological writings of Abraham Heschel (1907–1972), a Polish American Jewish theologian, thinker, and civil rights activist. The selections emphasize Heschel’s major themes, including the primacy of deed over thought and collective responsibility. For example, the excerpt from God in Search of Man (1955) contends that a concrete act always has intrinsic meaning because “its value to the world is independent of what it means to the person performing it. The act of giving food to a helpless child is meaningful regardless of whether or not the moral intention is present.” By eliminating spiritual purity as a prerequisite to helping others, Erlewine contends, Heschel enables more practical good to be done. He also targets inaction, maintaining that in a civilized society (such as the U.S. in the 1960s, with respect to racist oppression), “Some are guilty, but all are responsible.” Prologues by Erlewine, and Heschel’s daughter Susannah, a Jewish Studies professor, provide useful context. Those new to Heschel will appreciate this accessible introduction. [em](Mar.) [/em]