Steven T. Katz
Encyclopedia
Steven T. Katz is a Jewish philosopher
and scholar. He is the director of the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies at Boston University
in Massachusetts
, USA, where he holds the Alvin J. and Shirley Slater Chair in Jewish and Holocaust Studies. Professor Katz was born August 12, 1944 in Jersey City, New Jersey.
He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, England
in 1972.
Prior to his appointment at Boston University, Prof. Katz taught at Dartmouth College
from 1972 to 1984. He joined the faculty of Cornell University
in 1984 through 1996 as a Professor of Near Eastern Studies (Judaica); during the years 1985–1989 he served as Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Studies and Director of the Jewish Studies Program. He has also held visiting posts at Yale, the University of California at Santa Barbara, Hebrew University (Jerusalem), the University of Pennsylvania, Yeshiva University, and Harvard. He currently edits the journal Modern Judaism: A Journal of Jewish Ideas and Experience, published by Oxford University Press.
He adopts a "Contextualist
" interpretation of mysticism
, and has contributed to and edited a number of books dealing with mysticism.
He has argued that the Holocaust is the only genocide that has occurred in history, and defines "Holocaust" to include only Jewish victims (excluding Roma and Poles). He has argued this in depth in The Holocaust in Historical Context; this was released as Volume 1 of three but it is unclear whether the planned second and third volumes have been abandoned. Prof. Katz is the editor of Modern Judaism, an academic quarterly. He was on the editorial board of the Encyclopaedia of the Holocaust
(NY: Macmillan, 1990, Hebrew
and English-language
editions). Professor Katz acts as an American representative on the European Union sponsored International Task Force on the Holocaust. Additionally, he still holds a position as Chair of the Holocaust Commission of the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, after previously serving on the United States Holocaust Museum's Academic Committee for five years as their Chair.
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and scholar. He is the director of the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, USA, where he holds the Alvin J. and Shirley Slater Chair in Jewish and Holocaust Studies. Professor Katz was born August 12, 1944 in Jersey City, New Jersey.
He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1972.
Prior to his appointment at Boston University, Prof. Katz taught at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
from 1972 to 1984. He joined the faculty of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1984 through 1996 as a Professor of Near Eastern Studies (Judaica); during the years 1985–1989 he served as Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Studies and Director of the Jewish Studies Program. He has also held visiting posts at Yale, the University of California at Santa Barbara, Hebrew University (Jerusalem), the University of Pennsylvania, Yeshiva University, and Harvard. He currently edits the journal Modern Judaism: A Journal of Jewish Ideas and Experience, published by Oxford University Press.
He adopts a "Contextualist
Contextualism
Contextualism describes a collection of views in philosophy which emphasize the context in which an action, utterance, or expression occurs, and argues that, in some important respect, the action, utterance, or expression can only be understood relative to that context...
" interpretation of mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, and has contributed to and edited a number of books dealing with mysticism.
He has argued that the Holocaust is the only genocide that has occurred in history, and defines "Holocaust" to include only Jewish victims (excluding Roma and Poles). He has argued this in depth in The Holocaust in Historical Context; this was released as Volume 1 of three but it is unclear whether the planned second and third volumes have been abandoned. Prof. Katz is the editor of Modern Judaism, an academic quarterly. He was on the editorial board of the Encyclopaedia of the Holocaust
Encyclopaedia of the Holocaust
The Encyclopedia of the Holocaust was published in 1990, in tandem Hebrew and English editions, by Yad Vashem , the Holocaust Remembrance Authority in Israel....
(NY: Macmillan, 1990, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and English-language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
editions). Professor Katz acts as an American representative on the European Union sponsored International Task Force on the Holocaust. Additionally, he still holds a position as Chair of the Holocaust Commission of the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, after previously serving on the United States Holocaust Museum's Academic Committee for five years as their Chair.
Selected publications
- Jewish Philosophers (Bloch Publishing, 1975)
- Jewish Ideas and Concepts (Schocken Books, 1977)
- Mysticism and Philosophical Analysis (Oxford University Press, 1978)
- Studies by Samuel Horodezky (Arno Press, 1980)
- Saadiah Gaon (Arno Press, 1980)
- Maimonides: Selected Essays (Arno Press, 1980)
- Collected papers of Jacob Guttmann (Arno Press, 1980)
- Jewish Neo-Platonism (Arno Press, 1980)
- Medieval Jewish Philosophy (Arno Press, 1980)
- Mysticism and Religious Traditions (Oxford University Press, 1983)
- Post-Holocaust Dialogues: critical studies in modern Jewish thought (New York University Press, 1983)
- The Cambridge History of Nineteenth Century Religious Thought in the West" 3 Vols. (Cambridge University Press, 1988)
- Anti-semitism in Times of Crisis (New York University Press, 1991)
- Frontiers of Jewish Thought (B'nai B'rith Books, 1992)
- Mysticism and Language (Oxford University Press, 1992)
- Historicism, the Holocaust and Zionism: critical studies in modern Jewish thought and history (New York University Press, 1992)
- Interpreters of Judaism in the Late Twentieth Century (B'nai B'rith Books, 1993)
- The Holocaust and Comparative History (Leo Baeck Institute, 1993)
- The Holocaust in Historical Context, Vol. 1 (Oxford University Press, 1994)
- American rabbi : the life and thought of Jacob B. Agus (New York University Press, 1997)
- Mysticism and Sacred Scripture (Oxford University Press, 2000)
- The Impact of the Holocaust on Jewish Theology (New York University Press, 2005)
- The Cambridge History of Judaism, vol. 4: The Late Roman-Rabbinic Period (Cambridge University Press, 2006)
- Obliged by Memory: Literature, Religion, Ethics (Syracuse University Press, 2006)
- Wrestling with God: Jewish Theological Responses During and After the Holocaust (Oxford University Press, 2007)
- The shtetl: new evaluations (New York University Press, 2007)
Awards
- 1984 - National Jewish Book AwardJewish Book CouncilThe Jewish Book Council, founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of quality English language books of Jewish content in North America". It is the only...
for Post-Holocaust Dialogues - 1994 - "Outstanding book in philosophy and theology" (American Association of University Publishers) for The Holocaust in Historical Context
- 1999 - Lucas Prize (University of Tübingen)
- 2007 - National Jewish Book AwardJewish Book CouncilThe Jewish Book Council, founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of quality English language books of Jewish content in North America". It is the only...
for Volume IV of The Cambridge History of Judaism, The Late Roman-Rabbinic Period - 2007 - National Jewish Book AwardJewish Book CouncilThe Jewish Book Council, founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of quality English language books of Jewish content in North America". It is the only...
runner-up for Wrestling with God: Jewish Theological Responses During and After the Holocaust