Moses and Abraham Maimonides : Encountering the Divine

"The book explores how the mystical son Abraham integrates but creatively departs from the rational approach of his father. … The book achieves its mission to delineate how the father and son envision differently the encounter with the divine based on their respective rational and mystic commitments. This clearly written book draws on primary and secondary sources along with knowledge of Judeo-Arabic. Bibliographical references and indexes are included. This title is highly recommended for libraries with related academic collections."

— David B. Levy, AJL News and Reviews, July/August 2022

“Diana Lobel’s meticulous scholarship has enriched ourknowledge of the realm of the ‘between,’ particularly between philosophy andmysticism, and between Jewish and Islamic thought. ... Lobel’s currentstudy, Moses and Abraham Maimonides: Encountering the Divine follows inits predecessors’ tradition of meticulous scholarship, combined with sensitiveand incisive reading of a broad variety of primary sources and contemporaryacademic research. The book, written in a clear and unencumbered style(despite the technical terms and ideas with which it deals), makes a persuasivecase for understanding the differences between Moses Maimonides and his sonAbraham.”

—Raphael Jospe, Author, Torah and Sophia: The Life andThought of Shem Tov ibn Falaquera; Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages;and What is Jewish Philosophy?

“Professor Lobel tells an extraordinary story about MosesMaimonides (1138-1204), the great Jewish Aristotelian philosopher, and hisbrilliant son Abraham (1186-1237), who loved his father dearly, understood hisphilosophy profoundly, and defended it against all critics, but chose forhimself the way of mystic enlightenment.”

—Warren Zev Harvey, Professor Emeritus, Department of JewishThought, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Author, Physics and Metaphysics in ḤasdaiCrescas

“Diana Lobel’s elegantly written and deeply learned study ofa father and son, both of whom passionately sought to encounter the Divine,makes one realize that had circumstances been kinder to Abraham Maimonides’legacy, Jews might be accustomed to say ‘From Abraham to Abraham there arosenone like Abraham,’ in addition to declaring ‘From Moses to Moses there arosenone like Moses.’ Keeping our attention focused firmly on the texts,Professor Lobel shows how Abraham Maimonides paid his father the ultimatecompliment by treating him as a model to be emulated, and not as a ‘rebbe’ tobe blindly copied. This book offers us a fascinating glimpse into two visionsof what it means to encounter the Divine.”

—Menachem Kellner, Chair, Dept. of Philosophy and JewishThought, Shalem College, Jerusalem; Wolfson Professor of Jewish ThoughtEmeritus, University of Haifa; Author, Maimonides’ Confrontation withMysticism

“Diana Lobel offers an intricate but accessible analysis of the Maimonidean Duo’s subtle reflections as they delve into evocative theological metaphors. They do so in dialogue with a constellation of influential but too little appreciated early medieval Jewish and Muslim sources, and with important connections/cross-references to Sufi spirituality… Lobel’s narrative pays welcome careful attention to richly metaphorical and allegorical discourse as an essential exegetical tool of both father and son.

Of particular importance is her frequent acknowledgement of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 1111), one of the most influential of major Muslim theological minds. The result is that this volume will have the added benefit of offering undergraduate and graduate religious studies students a fine introduction to the history of medieval Mediterranean Judeo-Islamic interreligious dialogue.

Lobel finishes with a succinct summary of similarities and differences between father and son: both speak of ‘worship that culminates in passionate love and awe.’ But father sees that consummation as mediated by ‘intellectual communion with the divine’ and leaving the seeker amazed at ‘what the intellect can and cannot fathom.’ Acknowledging the essential role of the affective dimension, son is persuaded that both divine Light and Name ‘offer a radiant glimpse of God’s exalted being.’”

—John Renard, Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies, Saint Louis University; author, Rumi: A Life in Pictures; author/translator, Knowledge of God in Classical Sufism: Foundations of Islamic Mystical Theology