Religious Naturalism before and after Auschwitz: The Immanentist Theologies of Mordecai M. Kaplan and Richard L. Rubenstein

Abstract

Abstract: In this essay, I treat the work of Richard L. Rubenstein as attempting to inherit key elements of Mordecai M. Kaplan’s theological project and carry them forward into the post-Holocaust era. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Rubenstein follows Kaplan in espousing a form of religious naturalism and in eschewing supernaturalist understandings of the Jewish tradition. Nevertheless, Rubenstein remains critical of the character of Kaplan’s account of naturalism and, instead, offers an alternative account more amenable to a tragic sensibility. I then note the role that the critique of Reform Judaism plays in the elucidation of the constructive visions of both thinkers. Comparing their critiques of Reform Judaism, I further elucidate commonalities and divergences of their respective theological projects. Finally, I conclude by considering these two thinkers as part a shared theological tradition characterized by its emphasis on divine immanence.