Cover -- Contents -- Introduction -- The Cultural Environment: Challenge and Response -- IDENTITY, IDEOLOGY AND FAITH: -- JUDAISM AND GENERAL CULTURE IN MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN TIMES -- HOW DID NAHMANIDES PROPOSE TO RESOLVETHE MAIMONIDEAN CONTROVERSY? -- MIRACLES AND THE NATURAL ORDER INNAHMANIDES* -- POLEMIC, EXEGESIS, PHILOSOPHY, AND SCIENCE: -- MALBIM'S SECULAR KNOWLEDGE AND HISRELATIONSHIP TO THE SPIRIT OF THE HASKALAH -- THE USES OF MAIMONIDESBY TWENTIETH CENTURY JEWRY -- THE INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH STUDIES ON ITS EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY -- Interpreting the Bible -- "THE WISEST OF ALL MEN": SOLOMON'S WISDOM -- ON THE MORALITY OF THE PATRIARCHS IN JEWISH POLEMIC AND EXEGESIS -- Yearning for Redemption -- THREE TYPOLOGICAL THEMES IN EARLY JEWISH MESSIANISM: -- SOME IRONIC CONSEQUENCES OF MAIMONIDES' RATIONALIST APPROACH TO THE MESSIANIC AGE -- SEPHARDIC AND ASHKENAZIC MESSIANISM IN THE MIDDLE AGES: -- MACCABEES, ZEALOTS AND JOSEPHUS: -- THE FRAGILITY OF RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE: -- Epilogue -- Index.