The Star of Redemption is widely recognized as a key document of modern existential thought and a significant contribution to Jewish theology in the twentieth century. An affirmation of what Rosenzweig called "the new thinking," the work ensconces common sense in the place of abstract, conceptual philosophizing and posits the validity of the concrete, individual human being over that of "humanity" in general. Fusing philosophy and theology, it assigns both Judaism and Christianity distinct but equally important roles in the spiritual structure of the world, and finds in both biblical religions approaches toward a comprehension of reality.

Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929) studied at the universities of Berlin, Freiburg, and Leipzig. In addition to The Star of Redemption, he published a two-volume study of Hegel's political philosophy. His collaboration with Martin Buber on a translation of the Hebrew Bible is considered the finest in German since Martin Luther's.

William Wolfgang Hallo (1928-2015) was professor of Assyriology and Babylonian Literature and curator of the Babylonian collection at Yale University. He was born in Kassel, Germany. Hallo was a Master of Morse College, one of the twelve residential colleges at Yale University, between 1982 and 1987.