Daniel Polish has been a congregational rabbi for more than 30 years and is widely recognized for his ability to blend imaginative scholarship with contemporary relevance for both Jewish and Christian audiences. In this book, which inaugurates The Center for Religious Inquiry Series, he discusses the ideas of four seminal religious thinkers who each introduced a catchword to dialogue about theological matters: Kierkegaard's "leap of faith," Buber's "I and Thou," Tillich's "ultimate concern," and Heschel's "God in search of man." Each of these men occupies a special place within their tradition: Soren Kierkegaard and Paul Tillich within Protestant Christianity; Martin Buber and Abraham Joshua Heschel in Judaism. Polish has chosen the Biblical figure of Abraham as "a connective thread" that ties these thinkers together.
Soren Kierkegaard (1813 - 1855) uses the story of Abraham to explore faith as something that transcends understanding. Martin Buber (1878 - 1965) processes the encounter of Abraham with God as a means of discussing religious spontaneity, coming to God on our own, and the I-Thou relationship. Paul Tillich (1886 - 1965) relates his own life and thought to Abraham's journey as he considers the courage to be and the ultimate reality. Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907 - 1972) uses Abraham as a backdrop for his thoughts about the mystery of God and the relational encounter between human beings and the Divine. All four tutor us in the meaning of religious life.
