Moses Mendelssohn

Writings on Judaism, Christianity, and the Bible

Edited by Michah Gottlieb

German Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786) is best known in the English-speaking world for his Jerusalem (1783), the first attempt to present Judaism as a religion compatible with the ideas of the Enlightenment. While incorporating much of Jerusalem, Michah Gottlieb’s volume seeks to expand knowledge of Mendelssohn’s thought by presenting translations of many of his other seminal writings from the German or Hebrew originals. These writings include essays, commentaries, unpublished reflections, and personal letters. Part One includes selections from the three major controversies of Mendelssohn’s life, all of which involved polemical encounters with Christian thinkers. Part Two presents selections from Mendelssohn’s writings on the Bible. Part Three offers texts that illuminate Mendelssohn’s thoughts on a diverse range of religious topics, including God’s existence, the immortality of the soul, and miracles. Designed for class adoption, the volume contains annotations and an introduction by the editor.

Paper: $29.95 | E-book: $24.99
ISBN-13: 9781584656852
Pages: 296 | Size: 6 in. x 9 in.
Date Published: October 11, 2011

About the Author

Michah Gottlieb

Michah Gottlieb is Associate Professor of Jewish Thought. He has a PhD in Philosophy from Indiana University, an MA in Kabbalistic literature from NYU, and a BA in Philosophy from McGill University.

Professor Gottlieb’s research centers on modern Jewish thought from Spinoza to Levinas with a particular focus on German Jewish thought. He’s particularly interested in questions of ethics and politics. Professor Gottlieb has published dozens of articles and several books including: The Jewish Reformation: Bible Translation and Middle-Class German Judaism as Spiritual Enterprise (Oxford University Press, 2021); Faith, Reason and Politics: Essays on the History of Jewish Thought (Academic Studies Press, 2013), and Faith and Freedom: Moses Mendelssohn’s Theological-Political Thought (Oxford University Press, 2011).

Prior to coming to NYU in 2006, Professor Gottlieb taught at Brown University. He has held fellowships at the University of Hamburg, Princeton University, and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His book The Jewish Reformation was awarded the Dorothy Rosenberg Prize in the History of Jewish Diaspora by the American Historical Association.

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