Current Jewish Theological Responses to Contemporary Issues, The Jewish Philosophical Response to the New Atheists—Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, and Hitchens and Upon These Three Things: Jewish Perspectives on Loving God

Why respond to atheists from a Jewish theological perspective? William E. Kaufman writes, “Intellectual honesty compels the religious believer to face these problems. We will see if these issues can be addressed with due respect to both science and religious belief” (62). Why pay attention to Pirke Avot? Jeff Levin opens his book by quoting Pirke Avot 1:2: “Shimon the Just used to say, ‘Upon these three things the world stands: on learning (torah), on worship (avodah) and on acts of lovingkindness (g'milut chasadim).’” He expands in an evocative way the implications of the maxim for his project: “Torah. Avodah. G'milut chasadim. What is it about these three things that merits their designation as the foundation of the world?” He later writes, “Torah implies studying and learning from Jewish canonical writings and involves cognition, the act of thinking—use...