{"id":6747,"date":"2014-03-28T14:56:47","date_gmt":"2014-03-28T21:56:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/?p=6747"},"modified":"2014-04-01T18:09:35","modified_gmt":"2014-04-02T01:09:35","slug":"dr-cornel-west-on-abraham-joshua-heschel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/dr-cornel-west-on-abraham-joshua-heschel\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Cornel West on Abraham Joshua Heschel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Cornel West on Abraham Joshua Heschel<\/strong>
\nBy Jesse Love, the Rev. Katie Ladd and Pastor Karen Yokota<\/em><\/p>\n

On Saturday, March 8, Seattle\u2019s Queen Anne UMC welcomed famed philosopher and activist Dr. Cornel West. He is also a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York, the alma mater of some of our PNW Clergy (including the Rev. Dr. Sharon Moe). Queen Anne UMC invited West to speak to the local community on Abraham Joshua Heschel, who West reveres as a literary, philosophical \u201csoul-mate\u201d.<\/p>\n


\nAbout 250 people filled the fairly-sized sanctuary \u2013 a place that has graced many other speakers through QAUMC\u2019s speaker-series, The Well. Dr. West\u2019s visit drew many from the Seattle Area community and outwards, eager to hear a spirited delivery by the guest speaker on issues of faith, social justice, truth-naming, and a whole lot more.<\/p>\n

So, who was Abraham Joshua Heschel<\/a>? He was one of the country\u2019s most influential rabbis, possibly the most influential in the 20th century. Heschel wrote some of the most important works on Sabbath, prophets and humankind\u2019s search for God. He wrote in the Jewish tradition, but much of his work has been seen as transcending tradition.<\/p>\n

For photos from this event, check out the website of Queen Anne UMC\/The Well<\/a>!<\/h4>\n

In a time of deep Jewish-Christian tension and mistrust, he made long-lasting relationships with Reinhold Niebuhr, one of the 20th Century\u2019s greatest Christian theologians, and with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Heschel was at the Selma March and the March on Washington. He worked against the Vietnam War, and he worked with the Vatican during Vatican II to ensure that new liturgy did not perpetuate the anti-Semitism of the old liturgy.<\/p>\n

Dr. West\u2019s examination was richly presented, touching on his soulful connection to Heschel with musings on piety, poetry, and being a prophetic witness for humanity. Here are just a few highlights from the West\u2019s presentation:<\/p>\n

On Money and Power<\/strong><\/p>\n