The fundamental tension between individual choice and communal authority continues to shape modern Jewish thought, nowhere more prominently than in Eugene Borowitz's "Renewing the Covenant: A Theology for the Postmodern Jew." Borowitz envisions an "autonomous Jewish self" that reconciles Enlightenment individualism with traditional covenantal obligations to God and community. While his theological framework demonstrates remarkable intellectual sophistication, Reform theology's emphasis on individual autonomy in religious practice raises significant concerns. The framework demands unrealistic levels of Jewish and secular education from practitioners, diverges substantially from Judaism's historical communal decision-making, and rests upon increasingly contested Enlightenment philosophical foundations. Drawing on communitarian philosophy and contemporary critiques of social contract theory, a Conservative movement approach centered on community offers a more viable path for integrating tradition with modernity. Though Borowitz compellingly articulates why autonomous Jews should embrace Jewish duties, religion's transformative potential ultimately requires privileging communal wisdom over individual autonomy. This theological discourse exemplifies respectful denominational debate while illuminating core differences in how contemporary Judaism navigates between individual conscience and collective tradition.