Robert Eisen

Areas of Expertise

Judaism, History of Jewish Thought, and Jewish Ethics

Robert Eisen is Professor of Religion and Judaic Studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The focus of his most recent research is approaches to peace and violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. His other areas of interest include comparative religion, Jewish philosophy, and Jewish biblical interpretation.

Eisen is author of six books that reflect his varied interests: Gersonides on Providence, Covenant, and the Chosen People (State University of New York Press, 1995); The Book of Job in Medieval Jewish Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2004); The Peace and Violence of Judaism: From the Bible to Modern Zionism (Oxford University Press, 2011); and Religious Zionism, Jewish Law, and the Morality of War (Oxford University Press, 2017); Judaism and Violence: A Historical Analysis with Insights from Social Psychology (Cambridge University Press, 2021). He also co-edited Philosophers and the Jewish Bible (University of Maryland Press, 2008) with Charles Manekin. Eisen is currently working on a book entitled, Jews, Judaism, and Success: The Religious Roots of Modern Jewish Achievement.

Eisen has received a number of grants and awards to support his research, including a Fulbright research grant at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1999-2000. He was also won the Bender Teaching Award in 2005 from George Washington University in recognition of his contributions in the classroom.

Eisen is active in adult education initiatives. He has lectured and taught widely in the Jewish and non-Jewish communities in Washington and elsewhere.

Eisen is active as a consultant on issues of religion and international conflict with an interest in fostering better relations between Jews, Christians, and Muslims throughout the world. For this purpose, he has participated in a number of high-level dialogues and consultations in Washington and abroad.

Finally, Eisen is a musician-singer-songwriter. He writes and performs music in a variety of styles, but most of his music is folk-rock, pop, and country. You can listen to a sampling of his work on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6sRqjiMlQUr9iiJdinXMZe 

or on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIOzidsXhA3KWRdY_y8dNPp-pXrDjhEc3.