Jewish Theology Is a Dialogue, Not a Conclusion

Professor Benjamin D. Sommer, Professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages at JTS, is featured in the “At the Threshold” short documentary series, which explores contemporary Christian, Jewish, and Muslim thinkers and thought leaders.

“At the Threshold” is a global film series exploring contemporary, living theological traditions across the world. Their approach is to situate religious inquiry within lived experience, while widening accessibility without diminishing depth.

Professor Sommer begins the video with the powerful words, “If we want to do Jewish theology, you don’t want to just say what you think. You want to get a table set up. And at that table you put Rabbi Akiva and Maimonides, and Rabbi Ishmael and the priestly authors of the Pentateuch and the Levitical Deuteronomy authors, and the two different authors of the book of Isaiah. You put them all around the table and you just start a discussion.”

​One scene of note, at around the 8:00 mark, Professor Sommer is seen on Mount Scopus, putting a stone on the grave of JTS faculty member Israel Friedlander z”l, Professor of Biblical Literature and Exegesis from 1903 until his death. He was killed in 1920 while on a relief mission in Ukraine, and his body was reinterred on Mount Scopus. You can read about when Professor Sommer discovered Friedlander’s grave here.

Watch “Jewish Theology Is a Dialogue, Not a Conclusion“ as Dr. Sommer explores this sacred conversation.