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Maimonides

Faith in Reason

Alberto Manguel

$34.95

Hardback

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English
Yale University Press
16 June 2023
Series: Jewish Lives
An exploration of Maimonides, the medieval philosopher, physician, and religious thinker, author of The Guide of the Perplexed, from one of the world’s foremost bibliophiles

 

Moses ben Maimon, or Maimonides (1138–1204), was born in Córdoba, Spain. The gifted son of a judge and mathematician, Maimonides fled Córdoba with his family when he was thirteen due to Almohad persecution of all non-Islamic faiths. Forced into a long exile, the family spent a decade in Spain before settling in Morocco. From there, Maimonides traveled to Palestine and Egypt, where he died at Saladin’s court.

 

As a scholar of Jewish law, a physician, and a philosopher, Maimonides was a singular figure. His work in extracting all the commanding precepts of Jewish law from the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud, interpreting and commenting on them, and translating them into terms that would allow students to lead sound Jewish lives became the model for translating God’s word into a language comprehensible by all. His work in medicine—which brought him such fame that he became Saladin’s personal physician—was driven almost entirely by reason and observation.

 

In this biography, Alberto Manguel examines the question of Maimonides’ universal appeal—he was celebrated by Jews, Arabs, and Christians alike. In our time, when the need for rationality and recognition of the truth is more vital than ever, Maimonides can help us find strategies to survive with dignity in an uncertain world.

By:  
Imprint:   Yale University Press
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 210mm,  Width: 146mm, 
ISBN:   9780300217896
ISBN 10:   0300217897
Series:   Jewish Lives
Pages:   256
Publication Date:  
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Alberto Manguel is an internationally acclaimed reader, writer, and interpreter of a broad array of texts. From 2015 to 2018 he was the director of the National Library of Argentina. His books include The Library at Night and Fabulous Monsters. He lives in Lisbon.

Reviews for Maimonides: Faith in Reason

In our confusing time, when rationality is fighting for its deserved place, Alberto Manguel's brilliant book offers a historical and analytical premise for searching for the deserved place in the spiritual confrontation with the sacred. -Norman Manea, author of The Fifth Impossibility: Essays on Exile and Language


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