ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is motivated by critical reflection on the argument known as Pascal's Wager. It outlines the conception of what it means to be a religious Jew, and argues that is rationally defensible for some persons to be religious Jews. The book discusses the various alternative conceptions of the good relationship with God, and the religious way. It also argues that, under certain conditions, it is rationally defensible to be religious partly on pragmatic grounds, that is, on the grounds that there is a certain great value or potential value to be gained by being religious. The book deals with the rational defensibility of religious theism in general, but leaves open whether some specific theistic religion, such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, or another, is rationally defensible.
