Covenant & Conscience—A Groundbreaking Journey to the Heart of Halakha

"Anyone curious about the Jewish way of life, yet dissatisfied with much of contemporary Jewish theology and practice—repelled, perhaps, by the cheap and vulgar apologetics of those who seek to justify and sustain some of the tradition's systematic immoralities, who smugly deny expression to any doubt or uncertainty, claiming a monopoly on absolute truth—is invited to join me on this pilgrimage."
—from the Introduction

In this deeply personal look at the struggle between commitment to Jewish religious tradition and personal morality, Dr. David Hartman, the world’s leading Modern Orthodox Jewish theologian, probes the deepest questions at the heart of what it means to be a human being and a Jew.

Dr. Hartman draws on a lifetime of learning, teaching and experience as a social activist to present an intellectual framework for examining covenantal theology as it is applied to religious life. As much an expression of his impassioned commitment to Jewish law as it is testament to a lifetime of intellectual questioning and courage, this bold examination of the halakhic system offers fresh insights into Judaism and the quest for spiritual nourishment.

Introduction
"What Planet Are You From?": A Yeshiva Boy's Pilgrimage
into Philosophy, History, and Reality 1
1 Halakhic Spirituality
Living in the Presence of God 27
2 Toward a God-Intoxicated Halakha 49
3 Feminism and Apologetics
Lying in the Presence of God 69
4 Biology or Covenant?
Conversion and the Corrupting Influence of Gentile Seed 111
5 Where Did Modern Orthodoxy Go Wrong?
The Mistaken Halakhic Presumptions of Rabbi Soloveitchik 131
6 The God Who Hates Lies
Choosing Life in the Midst of Uncertainty 159
Notes 183
Suggestions for Further Reading 187
Index 188

Covenant & Conscience—A Groundbreaking Journey to the Heart of Halakha

"Anyone curious about the Jewish way of life, yet dissatisfied with much of contemporary Jewish theology and practice—repelled, perhaps, by the cheap and vulgar apologetics of those who seek to justify and sustain some of the tradition's systematic immoralities, who smugly deny expression to any doubt or uncertainty, claiming a monopoly on absolute truth—is invited to join me on this pilgrimage."
—from the Introduction

In this deeply personal look at the struggle between commitment to Jewish religious tradition and personal morality, Dr. David Hartman, the world’s leading Modern Orthodox Jewish theologian, probes the deepest questions at the heart of what it means to be a human being and a Jew.

Dr. Hartman draws on a lifetime of learning, teaching and experience as a social activist to present an intellectual framework for examining covenantal theology as it is applied to religious life. As much an expression of his impassioned commitment to Jewish law as it is testament to a lifetime of intellectual questioning and courage, this bold examination of the halakhic system offers fresh insights into Judaism and the quest for spiritual nourishment.