''Judaism as a Civilization: Toward a Reconstruction of American-Jewish Life'' is a 1934 work on

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...

and American Jewish life by Rabbi

Mordecai M. Kaplan Mordecai Menahem Kaplan (born Mottel Kaplan; June 11, 1881 – November 8, 1983), was a Lithuanian-born American rabbi, writer, Jewish educator, professor, theologian, philosopher, activist, and religious leader who founded the Reconstructio ...

, the founder of

Reconstructionist Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism is a Jewish movement that views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization rather than a religion, based on concepts developed by Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983). The movement originated as a semi-organized stream wi ...

. The book is Kaplan's most notable work and has influenced a number of American Jewish thinkers. Kaplan's work centers around the concept that Judaism ought not to be defined as the religion of the Jews, but the sum of Jewish religion, culture, language, literature and social organization.

Background

In 1934, Kaplan published ''Judaism as a Civilization'', a seminal work that eventually provided the theological foundation for the new Reconstructionist movement. Kaplan was deeply influenced by the new field of

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

and its definition of "civilization" as characterized not only by beliefs and rituals, but also by art, culture, ethics, history, language, literature, social organization, symbols and local customs. Kaplan argued that Judaism is in essence a religious civilization; the religious elements of Judaism are primarily human, naturalistic expressions of a specific culture. Kaplan felt that Jewish group survival in the United States depended on Jews reconstructing their lives on the cultural foundation of a historical peoplehood.Reconstructionism (Judaism)
" ''Encyclopædia Britannica.'' Accessed May 12, 2014.

''Judaism as a Civilization'' is divided as follows: * Introduction * Part One - The Factors in the Crises * Part Two - The Current Versions of Judaism * Part Three - The Proposed Version of Judaism * Part Four - Israel: The Status and Organization of Jewry * Part Five - God: The Development of the Jewish Religion * Part Six - Torah: Judaism as a Way of Life for the American Jew * Conclusion

References

{{Authority control 1934 books Books about Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism Zionism

Background

Contents

References