The topic this month is exploring Baruch Spinoza and his contributions as a precursor to secular humanistic Judaism.

A brief introduction to Spinoza is attached from the book Judaism in a Secular Age. The authors see Spinoza as a precursor to what eventually became Secular and Humanistic Judaism. Spinoza rejected atheism and Judaism. He developed a pantheistic philosophy in which God was everywhere. Spinoza also formulated a principle of rational criticism that included questioning sacred texts, including the Bible. Do you see Spinoza as a precursor to Humanistic Judaism?