Abstract
The study of Jewish approaches to Paul has tended to focus on theological issues. For some Jewish thinkers, however, the apostle was of interest for reasons other than interfaith dialogue or religious polemic. The philosophers Baruch Spinoza, Lev Shestov and Jacob Taubes, and the psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Hanns Sachs, discovered in Paul’s writings support for their own ideological agenda. Each one, in his own way, offered a powerful critique of the place of religion in society. In terms of understanding Jewish-non-Jewish relations in the modern world, the study of how the Apostle to the Gentiles features in the works of these so-called marginal Jewish thinkers is a useful reminder of the complexity of Jewish identity.
Highlights
Jewish attitudes towards the Apostle to the Gentiles have been the subject of a number of studies in recent years
There are many ways to define Jewishness, and an exploration of the intellectual worlds of those who regard themselves as Jewish, in some sense, even if they are not committed to any kind of Judaism, is arguably every bit as valuable for understanding the modern history of Jewishnon-Jewish inter-relations.[2]
Because influential Western political theoreticians such as Schmitt appeared to have been influenced by Pauline theology, in one way or another, it seemed imperative to Taubes to offer a critique of Paul
Summary
Jewish attitudes towards the Apostle to the Gentiles have been the subject of a number of studies in recent years. Valuable for understanding the modern history of Jewishnon-Jewish inter-relations.[2] such a restrictive program automatically excludes those Jewish thinkers who might have alternative reasons for reading Paul’s writings and who believe that he has relevance for other kinds of scholarly discourse. For those engaged in philosophical endeavors, for example, the attraction to Paul appears to be his implicit critique of society in the construction of the church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles. We will begin with a figure who features in every book of Jewish philosophy but whose interest in Paul is rarely commented upon
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