Things Not Seen Podcast #2117 - The Beautiful Life of Abraham Joshua Heschel: Martin Doblmeier
Apr 25, 2021
In this conversation, filmmaker Martin Doblmeier shares insights about Abraham Joshua Heschel, whom he previously featured in his documentary 'Spiritual Audacity.' He discusses the powerful friendship between Heschel and Martin Luther King Jr., highlighting their shared commitment to justice and prophetic teachings. The impact of Heschel's experiences during the Holocaust on his activism is explored, as well as his belief in religious plurality and interfaith respect. Doblmeier also reflects on the significance of the Sabbath and its broader implications for humanity.
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Heschel And King: Prophetic Brotherhood
- Abraham Joshua Heschel became a major American moral voice partly through his friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. and their shared prophetic language.
- Their bond symbolized a wider Jewish–African American alliance rooted in religious conviction and social action.
A Voice Forged By Tradition And Exile
- Heschel's dramatic declaration at the 1963 Chicago conference shocked listeners and connected him with Martin Luther King Jr. through uncompromising moral rhetoric.
- His immigrant background and rabbinic lineage gave him authority and a distinctive prophetic posture in American public life.
Prophets Framed His Moral Imagination
- Heschel's lifelong study of the biblical prophets framed social action as divine pathos: God suffers with the oppressed.
- He rewrote his 1930s German work into English in the 1960s to mobilize prophetic teaching for civil rights.
