Josef Stern is William H. Colvin Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Chicago and Director of the Chicago Center for Jewish Studies.
Josef Stern's The Matter and Form of Maimonides'
Guide is by far the best philosophical book on Guide of the
Perplexed I have ever read, and Maimonides is by far the most
significant and most discussed Jewish philosopher, of unparalleled
importance for the development of Judaism up to the present day,
but also of vast importance for medieval Christian and Islamic
philosophy. Stern's book is a must-read, not only for anybody
interested in the history and contemporary practice of Jewish
thought, but also for scholars and students of analytic theology
and medieval philosophy. -- Paul Franks, Yale University
To the continuously growing number of studies on Moses Maimonides,
Stern adds a new and refreshing voice. Stern's multi-layered
reading of Maimonides' parabolic writing allows him to address,
from a revealing new angle, questions that had hitherto seemed
exhausted: Maimonides' esotericism, his skepticism, and the place
of the Mosaic commandments and of philosophy in his life-project.
Bringing to bear Stern's profound familiarity with the
pre-Maimonidean philosophical literature, this remarkable book
reunites Maimonides with the Alexandrian philosophical tradition,
in which philosophy was a way of life. Stern's bold, precise, and
elegantly-written analysis reveals the Guide of the
Perplexed to be not only Maimonides' most philosophical work,
but a true philosophical masterpiece. -- Sarah Stroumsa, The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem
Stern's book is one of the best treatments of Maimonides'
metaphysics and epistemology to appear in the last twenty-five
years and unquestionably the best presentation of the skeptical
reading of Maimonides. It is clear, closely argued, historically
informed, and philosophically sophisticated. It puts forward new
and thought-provoking interpretations of well-known passages and
will definitely stir the pot when it comes to getting people to
rethink their positions. -- Kenneth Seeskin, Northwestern
University
Stern closely examines Maimonides's interpretations of biblical
parables, and the parables Maimonides himself constructed...This
linking of parables with other parables,
and with biblical and Talmudic passages, is invaluable.-- E. Halper
* Choice *
The Maimonides who emerges from within the skeptical reading is an
iconoclastic firebrand who challenges motifs central to Jewish
theology. Stern's The Matter and Form of
Maimonides' Guide is by far the most extensive, rigorous, and
sophisticated expression of the skeptical interpretation to date.
Stern's impressive reading of Maimonides pushes the envelope
further and deeper than...any of those in the skeptical
camp...Stern, drawing on his expertise in the philosophy of
language, provides the reader with the best treatment of
Maimonides' negative theology to date...Stern is clear about his
aims from the outset--to provide a unified reading of the
Guide. In this respect his work is a complete and resounding
success. A significant and impressive amount of historical and
philosophical work has gone into drawing together the various
threads of this challenging work and into navigating the difficult
interpretive hurdles Maimonides laid down. For these reasons, and
many more besides, I have no doubt that this monograph will become
a modern classic and will generate a substantial secondary
literature...This is a rare piece of stellar scholarship. The
Matter and Form of Maimonides' Guide is a must read for anyone
interested in Maimonides. -- Dani Rabinowitz * Los Angeles Review
of Books *
There is much to commend in Josef Stern's exciting new book,
The Matter and Form of Maimonides' Guide. Here is the most
extensive and best account of the 'skeptical' interpretation of
Maimonides, a major school of thought that has gained ground
relatively recently and provides an alternative way to approach the
hidden aspects of the Guide for the Perplexed...Stern
presents an entirely new account of Maimonides' parables, biblical
and rabbinic as well as those of his own creation...Stern's account
of parables and the examples he discusses should be of interest to
scholars in various fields of Jewish studies...It is a delight to
read this important and philosophically sophisticated contribution
to the field and, although no work on a figure as contested as
Maimonides can meet with universal agreement, even those who demur
over certain aspects of interpretation will have to contend with
Stern's new approach and will learn much in the process. -- Daniel
Davies * H-Net Reviews *
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