Our beliefs colour the way we see the world and help us to make sense of the inevitable challenges that confront us. Beyond Belief: Reflections on Jewish Faith, Reason and Experience is designed to help you take a closer look at how Jewish beliefs can help bring meaning to your life and guide your choices.

The course will provide the Torah’s perspectives on many of the most important questions that are asked by those of every religious faith:

  • How did the world get here? 
  • If the Universe has a Creator, does He run the world, or has He stepped into the background and left things up to physical and human nature?
  • How does G‑d communicate with us?
  • What is a Prophet?
  • Are there any Prophets today?
  • How can we know what G‑d wants?
  • Who wrote the Torah? 
  • Where does the text we read today come from?
  • How did the universe get here?
  • Are we rewarded and punished for our behaviour?
  • Is there an afterlife?

Maimonides, the pre-eminent Jewish thinker, systematically identified thirteen key beliefs that touch on all of the questions above, and that serve as the foundation of Judaism to this day. Taken together, these principles are a set of building blocks that allow us to construct a deep and nuanced understanding of what it means to live as a Jew.

In this course, you will examine the logic and role each principle plays in shaping your worldview. You will have the opportunity to grapple with ideas that sometimes seem remote, and to gain insight into the process by which these and other beliefs are shaped and expanded. Most importantly, this course will also address the inner struggle that many people feel when considering issues of faith.

Beyond Belief reclaims faith as a uniquely Jewish value, while recognizing that it is not a static formulation to be unthinkingly accepted. Jewish faith is a dynamic, powerful force within us that must be continuously fed by thinking, feeling, and doing. Beyond Belief provides multiple pathways into the exploration of faith-building. Both thoughtful and practical, Beyond Belief is an innovative look at faith that should not be missed.

Like all JLI courses, Beyond Belief presents the fundamentals of Judaism in a way that is both challenging yet accessible. You will have the opportunity to encounter classic primary texts and engage in thoughtful, open discussion.

So please join us as we grapple with fundamental questions of faith and belief. Because life’s most important questions are your own.