Franz Rosenzweig's near-conversion to Christianity in the summer of 1913 and his subsequent decision three months later to recommit himself to Judaism is one of the foundational narratives of modern Jewish thought. In this new account of events, Benjamin Pollock suggests that what lay at the heart of Rosenzweig's religious crisis was not a struggle between faith and reason, but skepticism about the world and hope for personal salvation. A close examination of this important time in Rosenzweig's life, the book also sheds light on the full trajectory of his philosophical development.

Preface and Acknowledgements
Introduction: Explaining Rosenzweig's Near-Conversion and Return
1. Revelation and World-Skepticism: Rosenzweig's Early Marcionism
2. Christian "World Activity" and the Historical Reconciliation of Soul and World: Rosenzweig's (Near-) Conversion
3. "Ich bleibe also Jude": Judaism, Redemption, and the World
4. World Denial and World Redemption in The Star of Redemption
Conclusion: Life and Thought Revisited
Notes
Bibliography
Index