ABSTRACT
David Hartman is well known for his deep involvement in the internal Jewish dialogue and for his work in promoting creative forces as well as openness to the modern world within the framework of traditional Judaism. In formulating David Hartman's own attitude towards Christianity, he measures his personal thought against that of Joseph Soloveitchik and Abraham Joshua Heschel. Although Hartman does not minimize the difficult history of Christianity in relation to Judaism, on the whole he feels closer to Heschel's position on interfaith dialogue than to Soloveitchik's emphasis on the unique nature of Judaism and of a Jewish dignity independent of Christianity. Much like Franz Rosenzweig, Heschel did not consider Judaism to be a self-sufficient religion. Hartman opposes the idea of building halakhah on a heroic, submissive attitude. Religion is a means, not an end, according to Heschel.
