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by Tom Keener
Bach to Books features Maimonides scholar, Daniel Cundiff, 7 p.m., Thursday, November 12. One of the greatest scholars of all time, Maimonides was a rabbi, physician and philosopher living in Morocco, Egypt and then Arab-controlled Spain during the Middle Ages.
The Readable History Book Club is discussing Maimonides by Sherwin B. Nuland, for their November selection. Members will be attending this program in lieu of their regular meeting.
Because Maimonides was highly fluent in Arabic, Hebrew, Greek and Latin, he could study the lost books of Aristotle. He discovered them at libraries in Egypt, but they were in Arabic. During the disintegration of the Roman Empire, most, if not all, of the original works of Greek and Roman philosophers were destroyed. Fortunately, many of the works were translated into Arabic and deposited at libraries in Egypt. Since they were on papyrus and clay tablets, the dry climate preserved them for hundreds of years.
Some argue that the discovery of the lost Roman and Greek texts by the philosophers of the Middle Ages initiated the Renaissance.
Christians, Muslim Sultans and Jews held Maimonides in esteem as a skillful physician and often sought his wise counsel. Although a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher, his knowledge as a philosopher was revered by the major religious groups of his time.
A graduate of the University of North Texas, Daniel Cundiff also holds an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Dallas and is completing a Ph.d. in philosophy from the University of Dallas. His dissertation is Maimonides and the West. Cundiff states, "My interest is in revivifying the question of ‘Jerusalem and Athens’ or ‘Reason and Revelation.’" Maimonides’ thought is pivotal for understanding this question both for the greatness of his own thought and for his influence on subsequent Jewish and Christian thinkers."
Philosophers such as Rumi, Maimonides and Averroes helped bridge gaps between Muslims, Christians and Jews. One of the Bach to Books goals is to connect cultures, which is what Maimonides accomplished during the Middle Ages.
For information, call 214.509.4911. |
