Evaluating the Reasonableness of Jewish Belief

Overview

The criteria of reasonableness, meaning and coherence, faith as belief in and belief that, and how each applies to Jewish belief in God, the Shema and the Holocaust.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What does it mean to evaluate whether Jewish beliefs are 'reasonable'?

   Model answer

   It means assessing whether Jewish beliefs are based on reason and consistent with reason.

2. 2

   What two criteria must be applied when evaluating the reasonableness of Jewish beliefs?

   Model answer

   Whether the beliefs are based on reason and whether they are consistent with reason.

3. 3

   What must be evaluated regarding Jewish statements of faith?

   Model answer

   How meaningful they are and for whom they hold meaning.

4. 4

   Why is the question 'for whom?' important when evaluating Jewish statements of faith?

   Model answer

   Because the meaningfulness of Jewish statements of faith may vary depending on the audience or community interpreting them.

5. 5

   What does evaluating the coherence of Jewish beliefs involve?

   Model answer

   Judging whether Jewish beliefs hold together rationally, and whether any conflicts arise between them within Judaism's wider system of belief.

6. 6

   Why is internal consistency important when evaluating Jewish beliefs philosophically?

   Model answer

   Because coherent beliefs must be consistent with other beliefs within the Jewish belief system to form a logically unified worldview.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.