Sacramental Existence: Embodiment in Martin Buber's Philosophical and Hasidic Writings

This dissertation offers an examination of themes of embodiment in Martin Buber's thought. This involves a philosophical intervention with regard to Buber's conception of dialogue, emphasizing especially the post-Kantian nature of his typology of I-It and I-Thou. However, the main thrust of this dissertation is an examination of how these matters play out in Buber's Hasidic writings, and the project as a whole offers the first serious hermeneutical study of Buber's Hasidic tales. I demonstrate specifically how intertextual studies of Buber's tales vis-a-vis the original Hasidic sources clarifies essential components of Buber's religious thought, particularly his notions of embodied theological expression and embodied theological cognition, as well as his visions of religious practice. Thus, this dissertation lies at the intersection of German-Jewish thought and Hasidic mysticism, and offers crucial insights into the post-doctrinal theology of one of the most significant religious thinkers of the twentieth century.