David Novak ranks as one of the great American theologians of our time. Tradition in the Public Square: A David Novak Reader offers a representative selection of the philosophical theology and social ethics of David Novak, one of the foremost contemporary Jewish theologians in North America.

Novak's work forges an unapologetic link between Judaism and non-Jewish societies in a multicultural environment. This grants Judaism an active role in public discourse, where it can contribute to the most pressing ethical issues of our day - abortion, war, capital punishment, sexual ethics, and health care ethics.

In their introduction to the volume, Martin Kavka and Randi Rashkover present a systematic introduction to Novak's thought, focusing on the novelty of his method for overcoming the longstanding dichotomy between reason and tradition.