An Episode of Jewish Romanticism: Franz Rosenzweig’s the Star of Redemption

322 Pages·1999·6.009 MB·English

by  Ernest Rubinstein

An
ePIsoDe OF
JeWISH QomAnrJ1ICISm
FRANZ ROSENZWElds
The Star ofR edemption

AN EPISODE OF
JEWISH ROMANTICISM
Franz Rosenzweig's The Star of Redemption
ERNEST RUBINSTEIN
State University of New York Press
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 1999 State University of New York
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rubinstein, Ernest.
An episode of Jewish romanticism : Franz Rosenzweig's The star of
redemption / Ernest Rubinstein.
p. cm. - (SUNY series in Judaica)
Includes index.
ISBN 0-7914-4275-6 (hc. : alk. paper). - ISBN 0-7914-4276--4 (pbk.
alk. paper)
1. Rosenzweig, Franz, 1886-1929. Stern der Erlosung.
2. Romanticism-Religious aspects-Judaism. 3. Baeck, Leo,
1873-1956. Romantische Religion. 4. Schelling, Friedrich Wilhelm
Joseph von, 1775-1854. Philosophie der Kunst. I. Title.
II. Series.
BM565.R613 1999
296.3-dc21 99-17920
CIP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Paul,
my classicist companion
on life's way
If love be blind, it best agrees with night.
-Shakespeare,
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
act 3, scene 2, lines 9-10

Contents
Abbreviations ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Chapter 1. Introduction 1
Judaism and Romanticism / 1
Romanticism and Idealism / 8
Rosenzweig and Baeck / 12
Baeck and Schelling / 16
Schelling and Rosenzweig / 19
Synopsis of The Star of Redemption / 25
Chapter 2. A Reading of The Star of Redemption through
"Romantic Religion" 29
Introduction / 29
Romantic Redemption / 36
RomanticAnti-Ethics / 57
Romantic Darkness / 68
Romantic Inversion / 86
Romantic Completion / 103
Conclusions / 116
vii
viii Contents
Chapter 3. A Reading of The Philosophy ofA rt against
"Romantic Religion" 121
Introduction / 121
Redemption / 127
Ethics / 139
Darkness / 144
Inversion / 153
Completion / 166
Conclusions / 174
Chapter 4. A Reading of The Star of Redemption through
The Philosophy ofA rt 177
Introduction / 177
Philosophy and the Protocosmos / 182
Art and the Protocosmos / 193
Philosophy and the Cosmos / 200
Art and the Cosmos / 209
Philosophy and the Hypercosmos / 224
Art and the Hypercosmos / 249
Conclusions / 259
Chapter 5. Conclusions 265
Notes 271
Index 295
Abbreviations
The three major texts discussed within this study are cited accord
ing to the following abbreviations:
PA Friedrich Schelling, The Philosophy of Art, ed. and trans.
Douglas W. Stott (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota
Press, 1989).
RR Leo Baeck, "Romantic Religion," in Judaism and Christianity,
trans. Walter Kaufmann (Cleveland and New York: World
Publishing Co., 1958; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Soci
ety of America, 1958).
SR Franz Rosenzweig, The Star ofR edemption, trans. William W.
Hallo (Notre Dame, Indianapolis: University of Notre Dame
Press, 1985).
IX