Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen is the director of the Institute for Judaism and Civilization. Through seminars, conferences and a scholarly journal entitled Judaism and Civilization, as well as through formal teaching, Rabbi Cowen has explored interfaces between traditional Judaism and the arts, sciences and values of general civilisation. He is the Chair of the Social policy committee of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia and is a Patron of the Family Association of Australia.
He is the author of a number of books, including Jewish Thought in Context – Studies in the relationships of Jewish and secular thought; Perspectives in the Noahide laws – Universal Ethics; The Rediscovery of the Human – Basic Texts of Viktor E. Frankl and Politics and Universal Ethics. He was the editor of The Journal of Judaism and Civilization and Interface: Exploring…universal ethics…society, culture and the sciences.
He is also the author of a number of academic articles, including “Beauty: a Torah view” (Generation Magazine, 1984); “The concept of a person: reflections on Judaism and psychotherapy”, (Journal of Judaism and Civilization, Vol. 1, 1998); “A statement of the Noahide laws”, (Journal of Judaism and Civlization, Vol. 3, 2000-2001); Translation of Viktor Frankl, “Ten theses concerning a ‘person'”, (Journal of Judaism and Civlization, Vol.3, 2000-2001); “Judaism and aesthetics”, (Journal of Judaism and Civilization, Vol.3, 2000-2001); Translation, “The Maharal of Prague on the Noahide laws”, (Journal of Judaism and Civilization, Vol. 4, 2002; “Rationality and the Noahide laws”, (Journal of Judaism and Civilization, Vol. 3, 2000-2001); Contribution to colloquium on “Spirituality and psychotherapy”, Title of contribution: “Universal Religion, Viktor Frankl and Gordon Allport”, (Journal of Judaism and Civilization, Vol.4, 2002); “Sovereignty, persons and the Noahide laws”, (Journal of Judaism and Civilization, Vol. 5, 2003)“Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy and Universal Values”, The International Forum for Logotherapy, Spring 2005; “The Noahide laws, politics and peace”, (Bulletin in the Noahide laws, Vol.1,2005; “The halachic study of the Noahide laws”, (Journal of Judaism and Civilization, Vol.6, 2004); “The human being in the image of G-d”, (Bulletin in the Noahide laws, Vol.2, No. 1, 2006); “Viktor Frankl: person, philosopher and therapist”, (Journal of Judaism and Civilization, Vol. 7, 2006); “Universal, traditional values and legislative redefinition of marriage and parenthood”, Position paper of the Ad Hoc Interfaith Committee on current proposed legislation in Victoria, Australia, with Commentary (Melbourne, Institute of Judaism and Civilization, 2008); “Universal, traditional values and abortion legislation” Position paper of the Ad Hoc Interfaith Committee on the decriminalization of abortion before the Parliament of Victoria, Australia (Melbourne, Institute of Judaism and Civilization, 2008); “Letters to Parliament: legislation and Noahide law., Three proposed legislative revolutions: redefining marriage, the permission to take life and the concept of parenthood” (Journal of Judaism and Civilization, Vol. 8, 2009); “‘Rights’ as a weapon of culture war”, (Quadrant, October 2009) and “Reverence for G-d”, (Bulletin in the Noahide laws, Vol 5, no. 3, 2010).
He has also delivered a number of papers, including “Affluence in context”, (Living Legacy Conference at Imperial College, London, 2001); “Universal values and human personality” (Congress of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Hobart, 2003); “Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy and universal values”, (World Congress of Logotherapy, Dallas, Texas, 2003) and “Democracy and Values”, (Conference on Religious Freedom Under a Bill of Rights, Canberra 2009). He also hosted a regular weekly radio programme, entitled “Ethics and Society”.