Not too long from now, it may be possible to write a comprehensive work on the ideas of the Hebrew Scriptures. But for now, such a work remains out of reach – at least for me. This book was meant to be something much more modest. It’s an introduction. And in it, I’ve tried to accomplish two things: I’ve suggested a methodological framework I believe can permit a more rapid advance in the direction of a well-articulated understanding of the philosophical content of the Hebrew Scriptures than we’ve seen so far. And I’ve conducted a number of investigations into the philosophical concerns of the biblical authors that make use of this framework as a basis. My hope is that this methodological framework and these investigations together will suffice to make the case that the philosophical exploration of Hebrew Scripture is both possible and much needed; and that this project will now seem more plausible both to those who have been skeptical about it, and to those who have been interested and excited by the prospect of such a project but have wanted a clearer sense of what it would involve.

At this point, I’d like to put my pen down and hear what others have to say, and especially to see what others can contribute to this, our joint project. But there is one other subject I should touch upon before closing – the question of whether we wouldn’t be better off discarding the reason–revelation dichotomy entirely in reading the Hebrew Bible. I will say a few words about this now.