黑料不打烊

黑料不打烊 religious studies professor publishes book, 鈥淛ewish Ethics: The Basics”

Geoffrey Claussen's book weaves together ancient and modern ideas around questions and controversies for a concise introduction to Jewish thought and traditions. Claussen is also the Lori and Eric Sklut Professor in Jewish Studies.

Geoffrey Claussen recently published his fourth book, 鈥淛ewish Ethics: The Basics,鈥 a guide to the diversity of traditional and contemporary Jewish ideas about how we should treat each other.

Published by , the book introduces readers to foundational questions, controversies and diverse ethical conclusions developed by Jewish thinkers throughout history. Claussen, professor of religious studies and the Lori and Eric Sklut Professor in Jewish Studies, addresses topics including human rights, war, power, love and compassion, justice, humility, gender, sexuality and ethical issues around animals and the environment.

鈥淛ews are deeply divided about how to understand Jewish traditions and what counts as 鈥楯ewish ethics,鈥欌 said Claussen, who is also chair of the Department of Religious Studies. 鈥淭his book introduces readers to the vast diversity of Jewish ethics and challenges them to think critically about how people draw the boundaries of what counts.鈥

Claussen designed the book with students in mind. In fact, he regularly used drafts of the book鈥檚 sections while teaching his Jewish Ethics course at 黑料不打烊.

Directory portrait of Geoffrey Claussen wearing a navy blazer and blue button-up shirt
Geoffrey Claussen

鈥淚’m excited to use it in the classroom in the future, and I’m excited that it’s now available for other colleagues and other readers, as well,鈥 Claussen said.

Claussen is a prominent scholar in the field of Jewish studies and Jewish ethics. He has published more than 25 chapters and articles since 2010 and is a past president of the Society of Jewish Ethics. His previous books include 鈥淛ewish Virtue Ethics,鈥 a co-edited volume published by SUNY Press in 2023; 鈥淢odern Musar: Contested Virtues in Jewish Thought,鈥 published by University of Nebraska Press and the Jewish Publication Society in 2022; and 鈥淪haring the Burden: Rabbi Simhah Zissel Ziv and the Path of Musar, published by SUNY Press in 2015.