The present age of historical research imposes the same necessity of restatement or reformulation upon us. We must do as Maimonides did,—as Jews have always done,—point out anew the really fundamental doctrines, and discard those which have lost their holdup on the modern Jew, or which conflict directly with his religious consciousness. If Judaism is to retain its prominent position among the powers of thought, and to be clearly understood by the modern world, it must again reshape its religious truths in harmony with the dominant ideas of the age. Many attempts of this character have been made by modern rabbis and teachers, most of them founded upon Albo’s three articles. Those who penetrated somewhat more deeply into the essence of Judaism added a fourth article, the belief in Israel’s priestly mission, and at the same time, instead of the belief in retribution, included the doctrine of man’s kinship with God, or, if one may coin the word, his _God-childship_.(53) Few, however, have succeeded in working out the entire content of the Jewish faith from a modern viewpoint, which must include historical, critical, and psychological research, as well as the study of comparative religion. 12. The following tripartite plan is that of the present attempt to present the doctrines of Judaism systematically along the lines of historical development: I. GOD _a._ Man’s consciousness of God, and divine revelation. _b._ God’s spirituality, His unity, His holiness, His perfection. _c._ His relation to the world: Creation and Providence. _d._ His relation to man: His justice, His love and mercy. II. MAN _a._ Man’s God-childship; his moral freedom and yearning for God. _b._ Sin and repentance; prayer and worship; immortality, reward and punishment. _c._ Man and humanity: the moral factors in history. III. ISRAEL AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD _a._ The priest-mission of Israel, its destiny as teacher and martyr among the nations, and its Messianic hope. _b._ The Kingdom of God: the nations and religions of the world in a divine plan of universal salvation. _c._ The Synagogue and its institutions. _d._ The ethics of Judaism and the Kingdom of God. PART I. GOD A. God As He Makes Himself Known To Man Chapter V. Man’s Consciousness of God and Belief in God