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CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Spinoza'S Revelation : Religion Democracy And Reason by Nancy K. Levene
Nancy Levene reinterprets a major early modern philosopher, Benedict de Spinoza - a Jew who was rejected by the Jewish community of his day but whose thought contains, and critiques, both Jewish and Christian ideas. It foregrounds the connection of religion, democracy, and reason, showing that Spinozas theories of the Bible, the theologico-political, and the philosophical all involve the concepts of equality and sovereignty. Professor Levene argues that Spinozas concept of revelation is the key to this connection, and above all to Spinozas view of human power. This is to shift the emphasis in Spinozas thought from the language of amor Dei love of God to the language of libertas humana human freedom without losing either the dialectic of his most striking claim - that man is God to man - or the Jewish and Christian elements in his thought. Original and thoughtfully argued, this book offers fresh insights into Spinozas thought.show more