Subscribe to 18Forty's NEW PODCAST "18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers" on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen

Why 1840?

Introduction

Was the year 1840 the end of religion or the beginning? In this special podcast, David discusses the significance of the year and how it remains relevant today. Follow along with the source sheet and listen below:

The year 1840 marked the climax of the first industrial revolution. This era saw new labor-saving inventions, scientific advances, academic theories, and the beginning of increased general education levels. These advancements brought massive societal benefits. At the same time, they created substantial societal dislocation and produced new challenges for people to find meaning in this world.

As the industrial revolution progressed, a profound question about religion emerged:  Would the rise of industrial, technological, and academic progress render religion obsolete or would these disruptive societal changes make religion crucial to understanding this new reality and provide meaning to peoples’ lives?

EPISODES

Among the many questions we receive at 18Forty, there are some we find recurring: Who does 18Forty serve? What is its purpose? In this episode, 18Forty Founder Rabbi David Bashevkin reflects upon those questions—except he isn’t the one interviewing.
18Forty was designed as a forum where significant issues and struggles are engaged directly with depth in order to share a meaningful and relevant vision of Jewish belief and practice. This site was always meant to be constructive towards Jewish faith and commitment and never, God forbid, detrimental. And in that sense, we recently missed the mark.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down for a special podcast with our host, David Bashevkin, to discuss the podcast’s namesake, the year 1840.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we listen to voicemails sent in by listeners and talk to two of our editors, Denah Emerson and Yehuda Fogel.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we listen to voicemails sent in by you, our listeners, and reflect on the community we have built beyond our conversations.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we listen to voicemails sent in by you, our listeners, and reflect on the community we have built beyond our conversations.
In this minisode of the 18Forty Podcast, we reflect upon a year beyond words (and numbers).
In this edition of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rav Yitzchak Breitowitz about the key Jewish issues of our time and how we should handle them. 
In this minisode of the 18Forty Podcast, we reflect upon a year beyond words (and numbers).

ARTICLES

LISTEN ON APPLE

EXPLORE MORE TOPICS