An Arthur A. Cohen Reader: Selected Fiction and Writings on Judaism, Theology, Literature, and Culture
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An Arthur A. Cohen Reader: Selected Fiction and Writings on Judaism, Theology, Literature, and Culture
Theologian, novelist, art and literary critic, Arthur A. Cohen (1928-1986) wrote prodigiously and on an enormous range of topics, developing a singular literary presence that imbued all his writing with a distinctive theological sensibility. An Arthur A. Cohen Reader presents Cohen's writings on constructive theology, including the famous essay "Why I Choose to be a Jew"; historical studies of Jewish philosophers Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig, post-Holocaust theology, including the original essay that was the basis for his landmark work The Tremendum; literary and art criticism, including brilliant studies of Kafka, Unamuno, Kleist, Sonia Delaunay, and theological analysis of Dada typography; essays on the Jewish imagination and literary tradition; and finally, selections from his fiction, including the short story "The Last Jew on Earth" and the complete novella "Malenov's Revenge". Prefaced by an introduction that traces Cohen's life and career, An Arthur A. Cohen Reader concludes with a discussion of Cohen's original theology and its contributions to modern Jewish thought. Each section in the book is prefaced by a brief introductory essay, and a complete bibliography of Cohen's publications is provided.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Giving a giant his due:
If this collection has one fault, it's Cohen's sometimes florid language. But this is a small flaw, and it's hard not to be amazed at the quality of the writing on display here. Cohen's framing of problems is incisive; his sentence and argument structure is clear; and the passion with which he writes about these subjects is evident in every paragraph. For Cohen, there is nothing not personal about Judaism and its attendant manifestations (as religion, as culture, etc.). He does not 'want' the reader to... more info
