Modern Jewish Thought

This course surveys the modern Jewish thought as a response to emancipation from the ghettos of Europe and the enlightenment that gave Jews access to higher education, upward mobility and citizenship with full equal rights in the communities in which they lived. We will explore the rise of various denominations and where they stand now. The course also seeks to provide an understanding of the theological foundations and purposes of the Jewish religion. We will examine how modern Jewish thought may influence professional spiritual practitioners and psychotherapists in their frontline treatment of patients and clients they see.