Between Theology and Reception: The Ideas and Audiences of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

In the course of his literary and public leadership career, Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020) targeted multiple audiences and the response to his various works differed according to these distinct constituencies. He was a congregational leader and chief rabbi of the UK`s United Synagogue, he was a public intellectual and theologian who gained a following among British elites, and especially during his last decade of life he was hailed as the most eloquent and profound articulator of a modern Orthodox world view. Indeed, in recent years numerous tomes that he authored have been translated into Hebrew and gained a prominent place on the Israeli bookshelf.

This paper aims to gain a deeper understanding of the thought and role of Sacks as a theologian and religious leader through the application of reception theory. Rather than focusing on his writings and teachings utilizing predominantly phenomenological tools, I will explore the relationship between key themes that he developed and how they were greeted by varying audiences: to what degree is there consistency between writings directed to disparate publics? What books were translated and to which languages? What elements of his oeuvre spoke to which groups? Did the stature that his thought achieved within non-Jewish circles play a role in the growth of interest in his approach within Orthodox Jewish circles?

My interest in this subject was spurred by a broader subject that I am now researching, the relationship between Israeli Jewish Orthodoxies and those based in English-Speaking communities, with emphasis on North American and the UK. For this reason, the translation project of Sacks` writings has particular resonance. As such, ultimately, my goal is to gain a novel perspective on contemporary Jewish Orthodoxy – especially its more moderate factions in Israel and abroad - through examining the readerships and reactions to Sacks` vast library.