Ronna Burger's guest appearances

Ronna Burger

The Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed

The Tikvah Podcast

Building the Impossible Dream: The History of Zionism

Daniel Polisar

Mark Gottlieb

Daniel Gordis

Einat Wilf

Aaron MacLean

David Wolpe

Antonio Garcia Martinez

Yoram Hazony

Peter Berkowitz

Jonah Goldberg

Joseph B. Soloveitchik

Christian Zionism

Jack Wertheimer

Matthew Continetti

William F. Buckley

OwlTail

Next week, when Jews celebrate the holiday of Purim, they’ll also study the book of Esther, named for the young queen whose Jewish identity was unknown to her husband—Persia's king—and his court. The book of Esther tells the story of how she and her cousin Mordechai outwitted the king's second-in-command, the vizier Haman, who sought to destroy the Persian Jews. Beloved among children, the story has also often been read as a manual for Jewish political survival in the diaspora. Ronna Burger of Tulane University, a professor of philosophy, also sees in Esther a commentary on the sources of human success: do humans accomplish their aims through sheer luck, divine help, or careful decision-making? In conversation with Mosaic editor Jonathan Silver, she walks through Esther, demonstrating how each of these elements—chance, providence, and prudence—emerge from the biblical text. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.

Next week, when Jews celebrate the holiday of Purim, they’ll also study the book of Esther, named for the young queen whose Jewish identity was unknown to her husband—Persia's king—and his court. The book of Esther tells the story of how she and her cousin Mordechai outwitted the king's second-in-command, the vizier Haman, who sought to destroy the Persian Jews. Beloved among children, the story has also often been read as a manual for Jewish political survival in the diaspora. Ronna Burger of Tulane University, a professor of philosophy, also sees in Esther a commentary on the sources of human success: do humans accomplish their aims through sheer luck, divine help, or careful decision-making? In conversation with Mosaic editor Jonathan Silver, she walks through Esther, demonstrating how each of these elements—chance, providence, and prudence—emerge from the biblical text. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.

Ronna Burger on Reading Esther as a Philosopher

Check out our high school offerings at www.tikvahfund.org/hs Tyranny as a potential danger of political life was recognized from the beginning of the Western tradition, in the Bible as well as the classical political philosophy of Plato, Xenophon, and Aristotle. What is the nature of a tyrannical regime and a tyrannical soul? What sorts of strategic responses are available to those confronted with a tyrant’s power? Ari and Ronna Burger address such questions through their discussion of the Book of Esther, which tells the story of a Jewish heroine in the court of an Oriental despot (Ahasuerus, identified with Xerxes in Herodotus). Dr. Burger teaches this text alongside Plato's Republic, which offers a political and psychological analysis of the tyrant, and Xenophon’s Hiero, which presents a carefully orchestrated dialogue between a poet-wise man and a tyrant who laments the misery of the life he is leading. Ronna Burger is Catherine &amp; Henry J. Gaisman Chair in Philosophy and Sizeler Professor of Jewish Studies at Tulane University. Read more about her course:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/18rd3qskfdm6zht/Tyranny%20and%20the%20Tyrannical%20Soul%20in%20the%20Bible%20and%20Greek%20Philosophy%20-%20Reader.pdf?dl=0

Check out our high school offerings at <a href="http://www.tikvahfund.org/hs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.tikvahfund.org/hs</a> Tyranny as a potential danger of political life was recognized from the beginning of the Western tradition, in the Bible as well as the classical political philosophy of Plato, Xenophon, and Aristotle. What is the nature of a tyrannical regime and a tyrannical soul? What sorts of strategic responses are available to those confronted with a tyrant’s power? Ari and Ronna Burger address such questions through their discussion of the Book of Esther, which tells the story of a Jewish heroine in the court of an Oriental despot (Ahasuerus, identified with Xerxes in Herodotus). Dr. Burger teaches this text alongside Plato's Republic, which offers a political and psychological analysis of the tyrant, and Xenophon’s Hiero, which presents a carefully orchestrated dialogue between a poet-wise man and a tyrant who laments the misery of the life he is leading. Ronna Burger is Catherine &amp; Henry J. Gaisman Chair in Philosophy and Sizeler Professor of Jewish Studies at Tulane University. Read more about her course: <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/18rd3qskfdm6zht/Tyranny%20and%20the%20Tyrannical%20Soul%20in%20the%20Bible%20and%20Greek%20Philosophy%20-%20Reader.pdf?dl=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.dropbox.com/s/18rd3qskfdm6zht/Tyranny%20and%20the%20Tyrannical%20Soul%20in%20the%20Bible%20and%20Greek%20Philosophy%20-%20Reader.pdf?dl=0</a>

The Nature of Tyranny - Ronna Burger