After nearly half a century of studying and teaching major works of modern Jewish religious thought, Arnold Eisen has written a personal theological essay remarkable for its honesty, accessibility, and insight.

Like many Jewish theologians before him, Eisen is resigned to the fact that there is little mere mortals can know about God's nature. His focus is rather the search for the "hiding God," the meaning of fleeting encounters with the Creator, and the acts of justice and compassion that human beings are called to perform as God's partners, in God's name.

The book's three chapters meet contemporary Jews of all persuasions, and non-Jews interested in Judaism, at the points where they are most likely to experience Jewish ritual and tradition: a Passover Seder, with its them e of past and future redemption; the Yom Kippur liturgy that guides worshippers through the difficult work of atonement, forgiveness and return; and the day-to-day responsibilities, personal and communal, of covenant, mitzvah and love.

Seeking the Hiding God is a rich, original, and moving work that invites readers to join the author in asking, perhaps for the first time, what they actually believe about ultimate matters of faith and doubt - and rewards fellow- searchers for ultimate meaning with reassurance that the search itself can be a source of personal fulfillment, vibrant community, and great joy.