麻豆视频

Ph.D., Princeton University, 2012

Research Interests:听

Judaism, religious thought, religion and politics, theories and methods, religious ethics

Primary Teaching Areas and Opportunities for Student Supervision

• Jewish thought, history, and exegesis
• Jewish-Christian relations
• modern philosophy and theology
• religion, ethics, and politics
• theories and methods

Overview

Elias Sacks joined the University of Colorado faculty in 2012, and works on the Jewish tradition, religious thought, and theories and methods in the study of religion. 听After receiving his A.B. from Harvard University and studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he earned an M.A. in Religion from Columbia University (2007) and a Ph.D. in Religion from Princeton University (2012). 听His research focuses on the modern period, with particular areas of interest including Jewish thought, Jewish-Christian relations, philosophy of religion, religion and politics, hermeneutics, and religious ethics. His first book, 听(Indiana University Press, 2017), explores the account of Jewish practice developed by Moses Mendelssohn, the eighteenth-century philosopher generally seen as the founder of modern Jewish thought. 听Reading Mendelssohn鈥檚 well-known German works alongside his neglected Hebrew writings, the book calls for a听far-reaching reassessment of this influential figure, recovering previously unrecognized arguments by Mendelssohn about philosophy, citizenship, and religious authority, and showing that his thought has much to offer broader conversations about modernity and religion.听 Sacks is currently working on a second book,听Nachman Krochmal and the Struggle for Modern Jewish Politics, on听Nachman Krochmal (1785-1840), one of modernity鈥檚 first Eastern European Jewish philosophers.听 His recent and forthcoming articles explore Mendelssohn, Krochmal, and other figures in听medieval and modern Jewish thought, including Moses Maimonides, Baruch Spinoza, Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, and Jacob Taubes. 听Sacks also serves as a translator for a (Brandeis University Press, 2011, finalist for the National Jewish Book Award), along with a new collection of Cohen鈥檚 works and an anthology of responses to Spinoza (Brandeis University Press).

Recent and Forthcoming Publications

• "The听Promise and听Perils of Perplexity: Jewish Philosophy and Public Culture,听Yesterday and Today," in听The Future of Jewish Philosophy, volume 21 of听The听Library of听Contemporary Jewish Philosophers, eds. Hava Tirosh-Samuelson and听Aaron Hughes (Brill, forthcoming 2018)
• "Poetry, Music, and the Limits of Harmony: Mendelssohn鈥檚 Aesthetic Critique of Christianity,鈥� in听Sara Levy鈥檚 World: Bach, Gender, and Judaism in Enlightenment Berlin, eds. Nancy Sinkoff and Rebecca Cypess, Eastman Studies in听Music (University of Rochester Press),听122-146
• 鈥淲orlds to Come Between East and West: Immortality and the Rise of Modern Jewish Thought,鈥� in听Olam Ha-zeh v鈥橭lam Ha-ba: This World and the World to Come in Jewish Belief and Practice, ed. Leonard Greenspoon, Studies in听Jewish Civilization (Purdue University Press),听171-195
• 鈥淚s God Eternal? Revisiting Mendelssohn and Rosenzweig on Reason, Revelation, and the Name of God,鈥澨�Modern Theology听33.1 (2017): 69-91
• 听(Indiana University Press, 2017)
• "Law, Ethics, and the Needs of History: Mendelssohn, Krochmal, and Moral Philosophy,鈥� Journal of Religious Ethics 44.2 (2016): 352-377
• "Civic Freedom out of the Sources of Judaism: Mendelssohn, Maimonides, and Law鈥檚 Promise,鈥澨�Journal of Jewish Ethics 2.1 (2016): 86-111
• "Anarchy and Law: Mendelssohn on Philosophy and Judaism,鈥� in听Moses Mendelssohn:听Enlightenment, Religion, Politics, Nationalism, eds. Charles Manekin and Michah Gottlieb (University Press of Maryland, 2015), 237-273
• 鈥淪pinoza, Maimonides and the Politics of Prophecy,鈥澨�Jewish Studies Quarterly听21.1 (2014): 67-98
• 鈥�鈥楩inden Sie mich sehr amerikanisch?鈥�: Jacob Taubes, Hermann Cohen, and the Return to German-Jewish Liberalism,鈥澨�Leo Baeck Institute Year Book听57 (2012): 187-210
• 鈥淢oses Mendelssohn,鈥澨�听Oxford Bibliographies听in听Jewish Studies, ed. David Biale (Oxford University Press, 2012)
• Selections from the writings of Moses Mendelssohn (Hebrew), in听, ed. Michah Gottlieb, trans. Allan Arkush, Curtis Bowman, and Elias Sacks, Brandeis Library of Modern Jewish Thought (Brandeis University Press, 2011); Finalist for 2011 National Jewish Book Award

Selected Conference Papers and Invited Presentations

• "Imperialism, Liberalism, and Jewish Studies: Jacob Taubes and the听Jewish Paul,"听American Academy of Religion, Denver, November 2018
• "Medieval Exegesis and Modern Judaism: Mendelssohn and Krochmal on听Ecclesiastes," Eleventh Congress of the European Association for Jewish听Studies, Krakow, July 2018
• "Critical Theory out of the Sources of听Judaism: Horkheimer, Cohen, and Jewish Thought,鈥� American Academy of Religion,听Boston, November 2017
• 鈥淐an Jews Be Citizens? Jewish Politics from the Enlightenment to Today,鈥澨齃eni Sassower Lecture, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, September 2017
• 鈥淟anguage or Politics? Moses Mendelssohn and听Nachman Krochmal on Biblical Exegesis,鈥� Seventeenth World Congress of Jewish听Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, August听2017
• 鈥淭he Sounds of Thought Between East and West:听Mendelssohn and Krochmal on Music as Philosophy,鈥� Association for Jewish听Studies, San Diego, December 2016
• 鈥溌槎故悠祔 or Disclosure? Medieval Exegesis and Modern听Judaism Between East and West,鈥� American Academy of Religion, San Antonio,听November 2016
• 鈥淛ewish Philosophy and Jewish Culture, Yesterday and Today鈥� (for session on 鈥淛ewish Philosophy in Contemporary Culture鈥�),听The Future of Jewish Philosophy,听Arizona State University, September 2016
• 鈥淗ebrew Philosophy Between East and West: Mendelssohn, Krochmal, and Jewish Modernity,鈥� Borns Jewish Studies Program, Indiana University, February 2016
• 鈥淲hy Think with Rabbinic Texts?鈥� Thinking with Rabbinic Texts: An Exploratory Workshop, Boston听University, December 2015
• 鈥淭he Business of Philosophy: Mendelssohn and Krochmal on Economics and Judaism,鈥� American听Academy of Religion, Atlanta, November 2015
• 鈥淲orlds to Come Between East and West: Immortality and the Rise of Modern Jewish Thought,鈥� This听World and the World to Come in Jewish Belief and Practice, Creighton University 鈥� University of听Nebraska Lincoln 鈥� University of听Nebraska Omaha, October 2015
• "From Moses to Moses: Mendelssohn, Maimonides, and Law鈥檚 Promise," Society of Jewish Ethics, Chicago, January 2015
• "Exegesis Contested: Moses Mendelssohn, Nachman Krochmal, and the Reception of German-Jewish Hermeneutics," Association for Jewish Studies, Baltimore, December 2014
• "Ritual Theory and Jewish Enlightenment: Mendelssohn and Contemporary Debates," American Academy of Religion, San Diego, November 2014
• "The Perils and Promise of Philosophical Naming: Moses Mendelssohn on Philosophy, History, and Language," The Meaning of Names: Naming Diversity in the 21st Century,听Museum of Natural History - University of Colorado at Boulder, October 2014
• "Religion Contested: Mendelssohn's Aesthetic Critique of Christianity," Sara Levy's World: Music, Gender, and Judaism in Enlightenment Berlin, Rutgers University, September 2014
• "Biblical Exegesis as Philosophical Methodology," Center for Judaic Studies, University of Denver, May 2014
• 鈥淗ebrew Philosophy Between East and West: Law and Ethics in Modern Jewish Thought,鈥� Center for Humanities and the Arts, University of Colorado at Boulder, March 2014
• 鈥淛ewish Thought Between Past and Present: The Case of Nachman Krochmal鈥� (for group on Christian Ethics in Historical Context), Society of Christian Ethics, Seattle, January 2014
• 鈥淗ebrew Politics Between East and West: Krochmal鈥檚 Covert Critique of Mendelssohn,鈥� Revealers of Secrets 鈥� 200 Years of Galician Haskalah: The Fifth International Conference for the Study of the Haskalah Movement, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, December 2013
• Invited Participant in Roundtable on 鈥淎ttracting Students to the Jewish Studies Classroom: Reports from the Field,鈥� Association for Jewish Studies, Boston, December 2013
• 鈥淎esthetic Politics: Poetry, Music, and Citizenship in Mendelssohn鈥檚 Hebrew Writings,鈥� American Academy of Religion, Baltimore, November 2013
• "The Limits of Ethics: Mendelssohn and Krochmal on Judaism and the Good,鈥� Association for Jewish Studies, Chicago, December 2012
• 鈥淩escuing the Law: Practical Discretion and Historical Change in Mendelssohn鈥檚 Hebrew Writings,鈥� American Academy of Religion, Chicago, November 2012
• "From Mysticism to Humanism: Moses Mendelssohn, Sexual Desire, and the History of Jewish Thought,鈥� Jewish Studies Colloquium, University of Colorado at Boulder, October 2012

Affiliations

• Jewish Studies (Associate Director, Director of Graduate Studies)
• Center for Asian Studies

Courses

• FYSM 1000 (first-year seminar): God
• RLST 2400: Religion and Contemporary Society
• RLST/JWST 3100: Judaism
• RLST/JWST 4170-5170: God and Politics
• RLST/JWST 4180-5180: Is God Dead?
• RLST/JWST 4190-5190: Love & Desire
• RLST/JWST 4260-5260: Topics in Judaism: Bible in Judaism and Christianity
• RLST 6830: Introduction to the Academic Study of Religion
• RLST 4840 / JWST 4900: Undergraduate Independent Study
• RLST 5840 / RLST 6840: Graduate Independent Study