NEW COURSE
JEWISHST 212 / HLS 3380 – Maimonides on Religion, Philosophy, and Law
Semester: Spring
Offered: 2026
Instructor: Moshe Halbertal
Meeting Time: T 3:45-5:45pm
This offering will explore Maimonides’ comprehensive reinterpretation of the Jewish tradition in light of his philosophical commitments and religious sensibilities. The diverse topics will be studied through close readings from Maimonides major works – “Guide of the Perplexed” , his code “Mishne Torah” , and the “Commentary on the Mishnah.” Special attention will be devoted to the examination of Maimonides’ outlook in relation to alternative positions that emerged from the encounter of religion and philosophy within Islamic medieval thought and other Jewish thinkers such as Saâdya Gaon and Yehuda Ha-Levi.
Topics (the sequence of the topics follows the order of the Guide of the Perplexed):
Religious language and Idolatry, the limits of knowledge, Creation and Eternity, Will or Wisdom
Class Note: This course is cross-listed with FAS as JEWISHST 212 and will meet at FAS.
Jointly Offered with: Harvard FAS as JEWISHST 212
For more details please visit the Harvard Course Catalog.