Identity/Crisis God as King in an Age of Authoritarianism – with Ethan Tucker
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Sep 22, 2025 Ethan Tucker, president of the Hadar Institute and expert in Jewish law, discusses the challenges of praying ancient texts in today's political climate. He emphasizes the importance of sincerity in prayer and how reinterpretation can bridge tradition with modern egalitarian values. Tucker shares insights on reframing divine kingship as a consent model and argues for preserving difficult texts for collective solace. He also addresses the dynamic between personal and communal prayers while exploring diverse approaches to egalitarianism in liturgy.
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Ritual vs Sincere Theology
- Many Jews sing Avinu Malkeinu out of nostalgia and ritual more than theological agreement.
- Ritual often coexists with modern political discomfort about monarchy and patriarchy in liturgy.
Leadership Is About Projecting Sincerity
- Ethan Tucker says that when leading prayer the precise meanings often recede for him.
- He focuses on projecting sincerity to draw people into the communal experience.
Liturgy As Timeless Receptacle
- Liturgy lets us speak in the dialect of eternity by receiving fixed words to transform experience.
- Leaders can supplement or reinterpret prayers to make them resonate without discarding tradition.
