Monday, October 12, 2009

Rethinking Judaism in the public square

Michael Paulson, in today's Articles of Faith segment of the Boston Globe, presents a fascinating interview with David F. Wells, a professor at the evangelical Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. I was particularly struck by the following quote from the interview:

Many of those who claim to be born again don’t live very differently than those who don’t make that claim. Biblical faith really should be producing moral authenticity and integrity -- you should see it in honesty, courage in articulating enduring moral principles, and the sacrificial giving to good causes.
This quote got me thinking about Judaism in the public square. How does Judaism interact with the public? What is the face that we present in the larger society? Are we more than Lubavitchers asking if you have put tefillin on yet? Can we be more than only concern for Israel?

What are the ways that we as a community exhibit "moral authenticity and integrity"? How can we do a better job of "articulating moral principles" and contributing to the national conversations on ethics and morality?


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