Explains why pre-modern Judaism opted to privilege consensus around Jewish behaviour (halakhah) over belief. The stresses of modernity have conspired to reveal the incoherence of that traditional approach. In our post-Darwinian and post-Holocaust world, theology must be able to withstand the challenges of science and history.

IntroductionPreface to Book IBook I: A Partisan History of Jewish Theology1 Priestly Religion2 Mosaic Torah3 Rabbinic Religiosity4 The Medieval Centrifuge5 Denominational Judaisms6 Contemporary ThoughtPreface to Book IIBook II: Jewish Theologies of Creation1 Biblical & Rabbinic Theologies of Creation2 Philosophical and Kabbalistic Theologies of Creation3 Post-Darwinian Theologies of Creation4 Post-Holocaust Theologies of CreationPreface to Book IIIBook III: Philosophies of Halakhah1. Rabbinic Philosophies of Halakhah2. Medieval Developments3. The Two Branches of a Diving Rod: Halakhah and Aggadah4. The Shrinking MiddleConclusion

“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… Several times [Cherry] refers to book 1 and book 2 as surveys. On this score, Coherent Judaism has much to offer its reader. I learned a tremendous amount from his presentation of primary and secondary sources, and I suspect many readers would, as well. If Cherry is a generalist, he sets the bar extremely high.”– Cass Fisher, Reading Religion"[Cherry’s] book, Coherent Judaism, is an attempt to resolve contradictions he sees between Jewish history, theology, and halakhah… Rabbi Cherry has taken on a daunting task and made a serious argument for re-thinking Jewish law and practice in contemporary society. Despite utilizing a wide range of sources, most of which are relatively accessible, the text is not impossibly dense."—Fred Isaac (Temple Sinai, Oakland, CA), AJL Reviews (September / October 2021)“Coherent Judaism is an instructive and inspiring statement of constructive Jewish theology for our time! In its pages, Rabbi Cherry displays exceptional erudition as he draws broadly upon classical Jewish sources—Bible, Talmud, Midrash, Medieval Philosophy, and Responsa—and modern Jewish scholarship, as well as secular literary, legal, theological, and philosophical theory and disciplines, to provide an authentic and original intellectual foundation for Jewish life today. This book is simultaneously academically rigorous and highly passionate and will capture and challenge the imagination of scholar and learned layperson alike. Readers will be grateful for the original vision of Judaism that Rabbi Cherry puts forth in this volume as he guides a twenty-first century Jewish community in its quest for meaning and spirit. I feel indebted to him for this powerful and impressive book!”—Rabbi David Ellenson, Chancellor Emeritus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University“In today’s challenging world, the Jewish community is able to benefit from its rich and many-layered intellectual tradition. Ranging across a wealth of sources—the Torah and its numerous rabbinical and modern commentaries—Shai Cherry deftly illuminates traditional and contemporary Jewish attitudes towards the crucial covenantal relationships between God, humankind and nature. At the heart of this book is his discussion of halakhah, which he envisages as a dynamic and continuously developing body of law. In engaging a wide range of issues, including evolutionary theory, environmentalism, feminism, and even whether traveling by car to synagogue on Shabbat is permitted, Cherry continually displays his insight and humanity. A lively and thought-provoking volume.”—Geoffrey Cantor, Professor Emeritus, University of Leeds“A thinker from the tradition of Conservative Judaism, Cherry offers a poetic and thoughtful account of how theology emerges from history, traditional sources, and his own experience.”—Laurie Zoloth, Margaret E. Burton Professor of Religion and Ethics, The University of Chicago Divinity School“This tripartite volume is an ambitious attempt to offer constructive Jewish theology that is rooted in the academic study of Judaism, attentive to contemporary science, and attuned to traditional Jewish exegetical and legal reasoning. Written in a clear and vibrant style, Coherent Judaism invites Jews to articulate a believable Judaism that integrates history, philosophy, theology, science, and law. The project is an original contribution to contemporary Jewish theology.”—Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University