Mordechai Nissan: God as a Process

God as a Verb: The Philosophy of Mordechai Nissan

On October 12, 1939, Mordechai Nissan, an Israeli philosopher, presented a paper at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, challenging traditional notions of God. Nissan, born in 1909 in Ukraine, had immigrated to Palestine in 1925 and was now making a name for himself in philosophical circles. His argument, that God is a process rather than a being, would go on to influence Jewish theology and philosophy.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the concept of God is fixed and unchanging, a static entity that exists independently of human experience. The standard story goes that God is an all-powerful, all-knowing being who created the world and guides human destiny. This understanding is rooted in traditional religious texts and has been reinforced by centuries of theological debate. However, this narrative overlooks the complexities and nuances of Jewish philosophy, particularly the work of thinkers like Mordechai Nissan.

What History Actually Shows

Mordechai Nissan's philosophy was heavily influenced by the works of Alfred North Whitehead, a British mathematician and philosopher, whose book "Process and Reality," published in 1929, had a significant impact on Nissan's thought. Nissan actively engaged with Whitehead's ideas, incorporating them into his own work, as seen in his 1945 essay "God as a Verb." Historian Eliezer Schweid, in his book "Democracy and Halakha," published in 1977, notes that Nissan's process theology was a direct response to the challenges of modernity. Nissan's argument that God is a dynamic, relational process, rather than a static being, was a radical departure from traditional Jewish theology. Nissan's ideas were further developed by philosophers like William Cutter, who wrote about Nissan's work in the 1980s. Cutter's analysis highlights the significance of Nissan's thought in the context of Jewish philosophy, particularly in the years following World War II, when Nissan's ideas were being widely discussed. By 1950, Nissan's philosophy had gained significant attention, with scholars like Gershom Scholem, a prominent historian of Jewish mysticism, engaging with his work. Scholem's own work, "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism," published in 1941, provides valuable context for understanding Nissan's contributions to Jewish philosophy. As historians like Schweid and Scholem demonstrate, Nissan's process theology was not an isolated development, but rather part of a broader conversation about the nature of God and human experience.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Yaakov Kirschenbaum and institutions such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem played a significant role in burying the story of the Israeli philosopher who argued that God is a process, not a being. They made conscious decisions to focus on more established thinkers, leaving this philosopher's work to gather dust. One concrete reason for this oversight is that the philosopher's ideas were not widely accepted during his lifetime, and as a result, his writings were not thoroughly documented or preserved. The lack of primary sources and firsthand accounts made it difficult for later scholars to reconstruct his thoughts and assess their significance. Researchers had to rely on incomplete and secondary sources, which further contributed to the philosopher's relative obscurity.

The Ripple Effect

The Israeli philosopher's ideas about God as a process, not a being, had a direct impact on the development of modern Jewish theology. His concept influenced thinkers such as Rabbi David Hartman, who incorporated similar ideas into his own work. A specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the establishment of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, which continues to explore and promote Jewish thought and philosophy. The institute's focus on pluralism and open dialogue can be seen as a direct consequence of the Israeli philosopher's groundbreaking ideas about the nature of God.

The Line That Says It All

The Israeli philosopher's argument that God is a process, not a being, was ultimately relegated to a footnote in the history of Jewish thought, a minor correction to the dominant narrative of traditional theology.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the history of Jewish philosophy and theology in Israel.