Education:
Ph.D., Brandeis University
Expertise:
Medieval and modern Jewish philosophy, biblical interpretation, religious ethics, and comparative religion
Background:
Robert Eisen is Professor of Religion and Director of the Judaic Studies Program at George Washington University in Washington D.C. He received his B.A. at Yale University (1983,) and his Ph.D. in Jewish thought at Brandeis University (1990). His areas of interest include medieval and modern Jewish philosophy, biblical interpretation, religious ethics, and comparative religion. He is author of two books, Gersonides on Providence, Covenant, and the Chosen People (SUNY Press, 1995) and The Book of Job in Medieval Jewish Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2004). He is currently editing a book for the University of Maryland Press on philosophers and the Bible. He is also composing a study on Jewish perspectives on violence and peace.
Professor Eisen is active as a consultant on issues of religion and international conflict with a particular interest in fostering better relations between the West and the Islamic world. He has participated in a number of high-level dialogues and consultations in Washington and abroad concerning this issue. He sits on the advisory board of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. He has also worked with such organizations as the United States Institute of Peace and Initiatives of Change. He recently played a key role in arranging an unprecedented meeting between King Abdullah of Jordan and 80 American rabbis.
Courses Taught:
Rel 106 Introduction to Judaism
Rel 107 Rabbinic Thought and Literature
Rel 112 Jewish Mysticism
Rel 115 Jewish Philosophy in the Medieval Period
Rel 116 Modern Jewish Thought
Rel 134 Responses to the Holocaust in Jewish Philosophy and Literature
Last update: 12/13/2007
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