▁“ To ▁system at ize ▁a ▁wild - g rown ▁thought ▁as ▁mine ▁is , ▁without ▁imp air ing ▁its ▁elementary ▁character ▁seems ▁to ▁me ▁a ▁remarkable ▁achiev ement .” ▁He ▁became ▁friends ▁with ▁El ie ▁Wies el , ▁a ▁well - known ▁Jewish ▁author , ▁and ▁Abraham ▁Josh ua ▁H esch el , ▁a ▁well - known ▁Jewish ▁religious ▁phil os opher . ▁Through out ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Fried man ’ s ▁English ▁transl ations ▁of ▁B uber ’ s ▁ess ays ▁from ▁the ▁original ▁German ▁made ▁them ▁available ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁ ▁Two ▁of ▁Fried man ’ s ▁main ▁contributions ▁to ▁compar ative ▁religious ▁and ▁philosoph ical ▁studies ▁are ▁in ev it ably ▁linked ▁by ▁dialog ue ▁– ▁the ▁" human ▁image " ▁and ▁" touch st ones ▁of ▁reality ." ▁The ▁“ human ▁image ” ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁an ▁underlying ▁dialog ical ▁attitude ▁that ▁calls ▁us ▁into ▁being ▁by ▁pointing ▁us ▁towards ▁meaning ful ▁choices ▁between ▁conflic ting ▁acts ▁of ▁values ▁and ▁as ▁an ▁ever - rec urr ing ▁unique ▁response ▁of ▁our ▁whole ▁person ▁to ▁particular ▁demand ▁placed ▁upon ▁us . ▁The ▁met ap hor ▁“ touch st ones ▁of ▁reality ” ▁emer ged ▁from ▁his ▁dialog ues ▁with ▁different ▁great ▁world ▁relig ions . ▁Touch st ones ▁represent ▁unique ▁meet ings ▁between ▁ourselves ▁and ▁people ▁or ▁texts ▁which ▁dr ill ▁deeply ▁into ▁our ▁sense ▁of