New Jerusalem Audiobook By David Ives cover art

New Jerusalem

The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

New Jerusalem

By: David Ives
Narrated by: Edward Asner, Richard Easton, Andrea Gabriel, Arye Gross, Amy Pietz, James Wagner, Matthew Wolf
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $5.42

Buy for $5.42

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

As a young Jewish man in 17th century Amsterdam, Baruch de Spinoza excelled as a theological student; but as he encountered free-thinking Protestants, atheists, and radicals in this relatively tolerant city, he began to question his religion and the nature of God. As a result, he was branded a heretic and faced excommunication.

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Matthew Wolf as Baruch de Spinoza; Edward Asner as Abraham van Valkenburgh; Richard Easton as Saul Levi Mortera; Andrea Gabriel as Clara; Arye Gross as Ben Israel; Amy Pietz as Rebekah; James Wagner as Simon de Vries.

Directed by Rosalind Ayres. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.

©2011 L.A. Theatre Works (P)2011 L.A. Theatre Works
Drama & Plays
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about New Jerusalem

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    36
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    38
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    35
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A theatre play summarising the essence of Spinoza

LA Theatre Works' "New Jerusalem" is a short tongue in the cheek drama of Benedictus Spinoza/ Bento or Baruch de Spinoza's trial and excommunication from the Jewish community in 1656. Spinoza, one of a group of Portuguese Jews living in Amsterdam (the New Jerusalem), fearing the Roman Catholic fervour during the Counter Revolution is seen as the founder of Modern Critical Biblical Research.

The play brings out Spinoza's ideas and theology as in opposition to the Jewish way of life exemplified in the Babylonian Talmud during the 17th century. If you need a concise summary of who and what Spinoza was, you cannot go wrong by listening to this work. I think David Ives has captured the essence of Spinoza wonderfully. Concepts like Deism, Spinoza's own Panentheism and Atheism were illuminated and easily graspable,

The cast did a great job of bring the play to life, however... because I only could listen to it, I sometimes got confused between the various male voices. It is to expected if you cannot see the actors. While distracting at times, I found it still engaging and well presented.

I can heartily recommend this recording of a play if you want to understand a bit more of who Baruch de Spinoza was as well as the circumstances in which he was declared a heretic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful