Compassionate Judaism: The Life and Thought of Samuel David Luzzatto

In his theological and philosophical analysis of the ideals of Samuel David Luzzatto, Marc Gopin critically examines the process that brought Luzzatto to his revolutionary conclusions about the compassionate nature of Judaism.

Unlike his contemporaries, Luzzatto wasn’t content with the division of secular Enlightenment thinking and traditional religious values. He believed that these schools of thought and their moral implications could synergize; in fact, he found a basis for honoring universal moral commitments within the construct of rabbinical Judaism.

Learn how Luzzatto reconciled his passion for scientific reasoning, enlightened thought, and universal humanitarianism with his staunch religious conviction. The process of reaching such an unprecedented marriage of beliefs is uncovered by Gopin’s study. He explores the influence of moral sense theory, a precursor to modern scientific approaches to ethics, on Luzzatto’s premises.

Luzzatto believed that compassion, not tribalism, was the medium by which we all might learn to live in peace. In a modern world plagued by hatred, destruction, and war, it is sometimes necessary to look to the past for a way to move forward.

""Marc Gopin in Compassionate Judaism has brought to American public awareness the passionate life and work of the Jewish religious and Enligtenment thinker, Samuel David Luzzatto, as a model of the possibility and vital importance of integrating and reconciling the life of traditional faith with a commitment to both the universal value of compassion toward all and to a respect for empirical and scientific inquiry and outlook.  This book serves as the underlying bedrock and spring of Gopin’s own passionate commitment and, I must say also, noble life devoted to bringing different and opposing religious figures and communities together into compassionate and practical mutual understanding and common projects in his ongoing practice and teaching of Citizen Diplomacy.  I recommend this book most highly to anyone and everyone who cares about of resolving world conflicts."  -- Heidi M. Ravven, Ph.D., Bates & Benjamin Professor of Classical & Religious Studies and Professor of Jewish Philosophy, Chair, Department of Religious Studies, Hamilton College Fellow in Neurophilosophy, Integrative Neurosciences Research Program, Vilayanur Ramachandran and Kjell Fuxe, Co-Directors

Marc Gopin was ordained as a rabbi at Yeshiva University in 1983 and has served in several congregations. Ten years after his ordination, he graduated with honors from Brandeis University, receiving a PhD in Jewish ethics.

Gopin is currently the James H. Laue professor in the School for Conflict Analysis at George Mason University. He also directs the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution and has spearheaded CRDC projects in Israel, Syria and Iran.

Gopin’s research into values dilemmas and conflict resolution has led him to engage in back-channel diplomacy with religious, military, and political leaders the world over. He has trained thousands in complex conflict mediation and peace building and has appeared on numerous media outlets.

Gopin gave a TED lecture, “Peace Steps: One Rabbi’s Life Journey to the Heart of His Enemies,” in 2015 and is the author of several books. Rabbi Dr. Marc Gopin is an extraordinary scholar and mensch and the release of this new work is very exciting not only because of the importance of Luzzatto's thought but because of the significance of Gopin as the one delivering the Torah. Indeed, we are in desperate need of "Compassionate Judaism" today when we must urgently channel the most crucial traditional Jewish values to address the most pressing moral issues of our time. We have a debt of gratitude to Dr. Gopin for producing this Jewishly accessible and morally challenge work."  - Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, President and CEO of Uri L’Tzedek, and Founder of The Shamayim V'Aretz Institute. Twice chosen as one of America’s top rabbis by Newsweek.