Michael Walzer is professor (emeritus) of social science, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ. He is the author of twenty-seven books and more than three hundred articles on political theory and moral philosophy, and he has served as coeditor of the journal Dissent for some fifty years. He lives in Princeton.
"Walzer brings a fresh voice to the most studied text of the
Western tradition. I found myself marking up passage after
passage as I followed his learned observations about the political
implications of the Bible...I constantly found myself reaching new
levels of insight as a result of his erudite points of provocation.
This book is highly recommended for all those who take the legacy
of the Bible seriously."—Gary Anderson, Hesburgh Professor of
Catholic Theology, University of Notre Dame, author of
Sin: A History
*Gary Anderson*
"Was there room in the Biblical kingdom of an omnipotent God for a
political constitution or political responsibility? Walzer’s guide
through the text of the Hebrew Bible is magnificent: a
many-layered, elegant, sympathetic but unapologetic examination of
covenants, legal codes, kingship, prophecy, exile, holy war, and
social justice ‘in God’s shadow’. It is nothing less than an
account of how the Israelites came to define themselves as
Jews."—Nancy Rosenblum, Department of Government, Harvard
University, and author of On the Side of the Angels: An
Appreciation of Parties and Partisanship
*Nancy Rosenblum*
"In this remarkable, wise and elegant book, Michael Walzer, one of
the greatest political theorists of our time, examines brilliantly
the diverse dimensions of Biblical politics, its institutions and
struggles. It raises as well the ultimate question of
the possibility to carve a human political realm in the Shadow
of God. Scholars and students of the Bible will learn a great deal
from the fresh an original reading of biblical traditions, and it
will inspire anyone who is interested in the relationship between
politics and religion."—Moshe Halbertal, author of On Sacrifice
*Moshe Halbertal*
"This book deals with the breadth of foundational themes of the
Hebrew Bible. Michael Walzer provides a vibrant perspective,
and innovative and refreshing reading of the ancient book of
books."—Israel Knohl, author of The Sanctuary of Silence
*Israel Knohl*
"Walzer is a great portraitist of biblical political ideas such as
power, authority, hierarchy and war—warts and all. His
depiction is beautifully conceived and beautifully written. It is a
very good book on The Good Book." —Avishai Margalit, George F.
Kennan Professor, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, and
Professor Emeritus in Philosophy, Hebrew University of
Jerusalem
*Avishai Margalit*
"In the story of how the modern West evolved beyond sacral
kingship, there is a Greco-Roman strand and a Hebrew strand. Walzer
offers a penetrating account of the Hebrew strand in its many
ramifications, with all the insight and sense of nuance that
distinguish him as a political theorist."—Charles Taylor, author of
A Secular Age and Dilemmas and Connections
*Charles Taylor*
"[Walzer] mines the scriptures for their insight on subjects that
continue to vex world leaders today. If there is a common thread,
it is perhaps that great power inevitably 'tempts kings and
emperors to put themselves in God’s place,' while blinding them to
the fact that, often, 'human beings are better off not doing what
God does.'"—Publishers Weekly
*Publishers Weekly*
"In God's Shadow is elegant and erudite. Anyone interested in
assessing the ideas about politics, government and law in the Bible
should read it."—Glenn C. Altschuler, Jerusalem Post
*Jerusalem Post*
“Those interested in politics, those interested in religion, and
those interested in both will be challenged by this fascinating
study.”—Booklist Online
*Booklist Online*
In God’s Shadow “is a rich and rare example of how new, provocative
and illuminating meanings can be teased out of the ancient text.”–
Jonathan Kirsch, The Jewish Journal
*The Jewish Journal*
“Walzer has written a lucid, probing, and broad-minded study that
will enrich each reader's understanding of the great architectonic
text of Western civilization. We are in his debt.”—Eric Nelson,
Jewish Review of Books
*Jewish Review of Books*
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