Holocaust Theology meets Covenantal Pluralism in the Thought of Irving (Yitz) Greenberg

This presentation will address the religious pluralism of Irving (Yitz) Greenberg’s thought. It will posit an inextricable link between his early post-Holocaust thought and his later postmodern theology. My contention will be that Greenberg’s post-Holocaust thought had a direct and unequivocal effect on his subsequent ‘postmodern/pragmatist’ Jewish covenantal theology. The anti-structuralist postmodern tendencies inherent to Greenberg’s thought find their expression in the paradigm of shattering and `moment faith`. The analysis that will take place in this presentation offers a novel perspective by covering both elements of Greenberg’s theological edifice and proffering a substantive nexus underpinning their theological constructs. The far-reaching conclusions proffered include the contention that Greenberg’s current religious pluralist theology cannot be divorced from his early post-Holocaust thought, and that – equally – his post-Holocaust thought cannot be understood as outside his proclivity towards postmodern/pragmatic trends in philosophy (which lend it a novelty in that particular oeuvre). I will highlight the many pragmatist themes that feature in Greenberg’s theology such as fallibilism, soft pluralism, ethics of power, and meliorism. I will argue that the thought of classic pragmatists such as James and Dewey was imbibed by Greenberg in his early intellectual life and – in a very real sense – serves as a panacea in Greenberg’s theology against the resultant nihilism, relativism, and demise typically associated with continental postmodernism. The presentation will unpack the essence of Greenberg’s religious pluralism and contend that despite its radical standing within the Orthodox milieu from which he hailed, the morphing of postmodern and pragmatic themes in his work elicit a constructive Jewish pluralism that is colored – though not paralyzed – by post-Holocaust rupture.