In God's Presence

“Written by an exceptional scholar and interpreter of the Jewish world who is an equally exceptional advocate and practitioner of interfaith dialogue and shared action, this book is a profound, visionary, generous, and exhilarating vision of Jewish tradition and identity, grounded in the authority of learning and personal immersion in the encounter with the divine.”

“In God’s Presence offers a sweeping view of Judaism, historically and thematically. It is of extraordinary interest also for the Christian world and, in fact, for anyone interested in understanding religion’s influence on the life of the world. More than just an academic analysis or a theoretical presentation of history and great ideas, Goshen-Gottstein’s book is the fruit of his religious experience and of his years of encounters and reflections. These have taken shape in this book and have found a clear and simple but at the same time rigorous, profound, and convincing expression. Ever since establishing a new Catholic approach to Judaism at the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has affirmed the value of a fuller acquaintance with and appreciation of postbiblical Judaism and its spiritual testimony, as these have developed over millennia since the separation between the faiths. I cannot think of a finer and more comprehensive way of meeting this challenge than In God’s Presence.”

“This very important work distills a lifetime of scholarship, prayer, profound thought, and practical action. It gives a discerning, in-depth, and clear description of Judaism past and present, together with an attractive vision for its future. And its deeply Jewish prophetic wisdom is relevant far beyond Judaism. This is a God-centered vision that can inspire other religions to sound their own depths and to engage with each other afresh in our fragmented twenty-first-century world. Goshen-Gottstein is already a towering, trusted figure in global interreligious engagement; in this long-awaited culmination, he opens up for readers the heart of what has inspired him.”

“In God’s Presence is a truly thrilling tour de force. It delivers what its title proposes: a renewed look at Judaism, inspired by a grounded yet urgent sense of God’s presence in covenant with human intelligence and faithfulness. With a powerful vision, a truly impressive breadth of scholarly and theological learning, and a largeness of heart, Goshen-Gottstein guides the reader through every aspect of traditional Jewish life and thought—and reawakens it. This work is especially wonderful to me. It helps me, a teacher of Jewish meditation focusing on the presence of God, to understand much that I was unaware of and provides theological grounding for my own meditation practice and teaching. This book is, literally, a revelation to me. This is a book for all Jews and non-Jews who seek a thorough understanding of what Judaism is—and could be.”

“Lucid, lively, original, and teeming with ideas and insights honed over a lifetime of inspirational teaching and practice, Goshen-Gottstein’s ‘reintroduction to Judaism’ is a welcome addition to the library of contemporary religious thought. The focus throughout is on covenantal relation to God that is expressed in performance of the commandments and in the gift of divine presence. Jews are ‘cocreators’ with the God of the Torah, which guides and enriches their lives; collectively and individually, uplifted by sacred times and spaces, they share with one another and the world the enduring story of what it can mean to live in the presence of God. One leaves Goshen-Gottstein’s book more grateful than ever for that story—and for the immense wisdom and learning that the author has brought to the task of retelling it for our generation.”

“Goshen-Gottstein embarks on the beautiful and arduous task of nurturing and configuring Judaism anew, in and for our own time, through the retrieval of the key—but long underdeveloped—theme of covenant, the red thread of the entire book. The result is as enthralling as it is singular. Goshen-Gottstein manages to simultaneously look not merely backward to ancient texts and traditions but also to the present crisis and to what is to come, since we are not yet at the end of history. This is Jewish ‘systematic theology,’ or ‘faith/emunah seeking understanding,’ at its deepest and highest levels, on par with Abraham J. Heschel’s achievements. This book is both a reintroduction—that is, a guiding afresh into the heart of Judaism—and an invitation to allow yourself to be guided there. This thick book will richly reward readers intellectually and spiritually, regardless of their religious stance. And one hopes this impressive work will foster similarly fruitful expositions of Islam, Christianity, and other traditions.”

“In God’s Presence is a massive achievement—born from a lifetime of learning and spiritual devotion. Jewish and Christian readers alike will greatly benefit from the crafted integration of historical and theological reflections, recovering repeatedly the many (and integral) layers of Jewish thought and practice. This is a work of deep scholarship and religious insight that can be studied in discrete units or as a whole

“An inviting and accessible study of the Jewish tradition by one of its finest contemporary scholar-practitioners. A God-centered approach to Jewish spirituality that is both descriptive and constructive. Goshen-Gottstein has the rare ability to write for both the insider and the outsider and to share the core theological insights of Judaism with a diverse global community. As a Hindu theologian, I found this book revealed the depths of Jewish spirituality to me and contributed to greater clarity about my own tradition. I commend this work to readers across religious traditions.”