"Review of Shai Cherry, _Coherent Judaism: Constructive Theology, Creation, and Halakhah, 2021
Recent publications on Jewish theology, including prominent reference works and numerous monograp... more Recent publications on Jewish theology, including prominent reference works and numerous monographs, suggest that Jewish theology is undergoing a resurgence. While scholarly interest in Jewish theology is on the rise, the field remains embryonic, as evidenced by the lack of a dedicated journal or an American Academy of Religion program unit. Because the renaissance of Jewish theology is still in its infancy, fundamental questions about the forms of Jewish theology or its audience are wide open. Shai Cherry's impressive volume, Coherent Judaism: Constructive Theology, Creation, and Halakhah, brings new questions to this discussion, many of which should be of interest to all scholars of religion. For instance, the book opens with Cherry's declaration that the book was written under the pressures of being an underemployed adjunct. Cherry also identifies himself in the opening pages of the work as a generalist, a sensible professional choice given the waning job market. Ultimately, Cherry left academia, received rabbinic ordination, and now serves as a congregational rabbi. These biographical details raise important questions about how to assess the work of our colleagues who now write from the margins of academia.
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