After Auschwitz: History, Theology, and Contemporary Judaism (Johns Hopkins Jewish Studies)

Rating:
Summary: Frightening--and therefore a must-read.
Review: In this (much) revised edition of the original After Auschwitz, Rubenstein provides not only some of the theological and social implications of the legacy of the Holocaust, but also looks to the future of Jewish theology.

Most memorable--and certainly one of the best ways to approach reading this book is to use this as a starting point--is Rubenstein's radical reconsideration of covenant. In this, Rubenstein's revised work still stands among the Death-of-God theologians of the mid- and late-sixties (Altizer, etc.) in its rejection of "that" God who either could not or would not, but certainly did not save the victims of the Holocaust. And while his more-or-less continued rejection of the status of the Nazi's mass-murdered victims as martyrs is questionable and certainly uncomfortable, this is entirely in keeping with the theological position of the work. Also keeping with his theological position as it has developed is Rubenstein's suggestion that Jews will either assimilate or reaffirm traditional perspectives on covenant--if only because no other theological resources exist in the classical Jewish texts.

Still chilling--and a must-read for anyone interested in post-trauma theologies--is the chapter discussing Rubenstein's meeting with Dean Gruber.

My only problem with the book has little to do with the quality thought or consistency--it is an astounding combination of methodological rigor and very profound theological reflection. I do think, though, that the continued emphasis on process theology and the yet-unrejected Death-of-God thought as it is reflected in Rubenstein's personal theological statements (particularly the extended discussion of the Ground-of-being) is not sufficient for a religious community. However, Rubenstein admits as much, and it is unfair to disparage him for his obviously very well thought out opinions.

Excellent and, for individuals who believe or do not believe, a necessary work for comprehending the implications of the Holocaust.

Rating:
Summary: "After "After Auschwitz"
Review: To say that this text is one of the most influential works of theology in general, and on Judaism in particular, is no understatement. With the publication of this book's first edition in 1966, the author single handedly created the discipline of "holocaust theology" and began a debate among Jews and Christians about the causes of this catastrophe and it's processes, that continues to this day.

The most widely commented and controversial assertion in the book was that the Holocaust proved that "God is Dead" or more accurately that the traditional notion of God as a loving, caring protector of the Jewish people, was in the light of the catastrophe, no longer tenable. This idea, eventually lead the author to experiment with and praise Buddhism, for it's notion of God as "empty", an idea which is also found in Jewish mysticism, known as the Kabbalah.

The author demonstrates great personal and theological courage in articulating the true issues concerning the Holocaust, and also in revising his original text a generation later, with the issuance of this superb second edition. This book covers all the developments in Israel, the U.S. and Europe between 1966-92 that the first edition could not foresee, and provides the "theological jumping off point" for those theologians, such as this writer who followed him.

That "jumping off point" is his assertion, that the Holocaust is only comprehensible in dumstruck silence as a mystery. or as traditional Jewish theology would have it, as a punishment. He finds the first course preferable to the second, since he states he would be unable to believe in a God who would punish millions of innocent Jews so horribly, for a cause he cannot or does not identify.

However, for this writer Rubenstein's inability to answer the dilemna he raises, is a critical issue, for answering this question well, and articulating it properly, are at the heart of whether it is possible to remain a Jew in this day and age. For my part, I was able to identify culpable Jewish behavior, words, thoughts and actions which could very well, from a mystical standpoint, have precipitated the Shoah as it is known in Hebrew.

My discussions of these issues occurs in my recent book, "Jewish History and Divine Providence: Theodicy and the Oddyssey" available here on Amazon.com. However, if all this writer did was to answer Rubenstein's conundrum, "Jewish History" would have only been half finished. I also work to explain the processes of divine providence which operate behind Jewish history, and how the Jewish poeple can avoid the pitfalls which lead to such massive destruction.

Rubenstein's 1992 edition of After Auschwitz is first rate popular and academic scholarship, but essentially it ends with a question. Post-Holocaust writers such as this reviewer, are as much if not more content, with answers than more questions.