Moses as Political Leader
“Aaron Wildavsky, a giant of American political science, brings his profound understanding of human affairs to bear on the founding of the world’s most enduring political community, the nation of Israel. At a time in which we are rediscovering the indispensability of resolute and perspicacious leadership, Wildavsky’s brilliant study of Moses as founding father illuminates not only the Jewish past but the enduring political questions of how to build and preserve a decent, righteous, and stable community, here and hereafter. A marvelous book!”
– Leon R Kass, University of Chicago; American Enterprise Institute
“Wildavsky’s works rise from the twin convictions that the Bible has much to say to modern political scientests and that moden political science can illumine biblical teaching. In Moses as Political Leader, Wildavsky sees the Torah as a virtual treatise on how Moses learns to become a leader. As a theorist, Wildavsky argues that leadership is tied to the political culture or regime in which leaders operate. Moses operates under four successive regimes, finally crafting a mixed regime of equality and hierarchy as the ideal political framework for Jews. Wildavsky seeks to show how existing political theorizing on leadership can learn from Mosaic teaching, and how biblical study can be enriched by attention to the political teaching embedded in the text. This is a crucial book for anyone interested in Jewish Political thought.”
– Alan Mittleman, Jewish Theological Seminary