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

Summary

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. Includes an interview with Steven Nadler, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of A Book Forged in Hell: Spinoza’s Scandalous Treatise and the Birth of the Secular Age. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, in July 2011. Director: Rosalind Ayres Producing Director: Susan Albert Loewenberg An L.A. Theatre Works Full-Cast Performance Featuring: 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 Matthew Wolf as Baruch de Spinoza Associate Producer: Christina Montaño Recording Engineer/Sound Designer/Editor: Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood Sound Effects Artist: Tony Palermo