ABSTRACT
The question “In what sense is David Hartman a Jewish Theologian?” seems to be superfluous. From the formal point of view the answer is evident: no one would doubt his personal identity as a Jew and the main source of his inspiration as Judaism. But to define Hartman as a theologian is less simple, and requires one to define what one means by a “Jewish Theology” to begin with. What separates a “Jewish Theology” from other theologies? The most widespread description of theology, a “science of things divine,” was formulated by Richard Hooker. The assumption implicit in this definition—that “science” is a singular noun—reflects the general assertion of many theologians that there is one single accepted, authoritative science. The question then becomes: is David Hartman’s theology operating under such a definition—does he deal mainly with divine subjects, and does he work under the assumption of one authoritative theology?
