ABSTRACT
Moses Maimonides is commonly regarded as the supreme defensor fidei – defender and pillar of the faith – using philosophy, mostly learned from the Muslims, to defend Judaism. Maimonides’ medical writings show most clearly that, however exceptional, he belonged to the Middle Ages. Maimonides belonged to an age of faith clashing with reason, when efforts were made by Muslim, Christian and Jewish philosophers to reconcile religion and philosophy in the hope of creating a synthesis but which often led to heretical ideas. Maimonides was a champion of social legislation and a pioneer of social activism. In some doctrinal matters, Maimonides was vulnerable to the charge of heresy. Maimonides strongly objected to speculative messianic calculations that could only raise false hope and bring bitter disappointment.
