The book of Genesis tells us that God made a covenant with Abraham, promising him a glorious posterity on the condition that he and all his male descendents must be circumcised. For thousands of years thereafter, the distinctive practice of circumcision served to set the Jews apart from their neighbors. The apostle Paul rejected it as a worthless practice, emblematic of Judaism's fixation on physical matters. Christian theologians followed his lead, arguing that whereas Christians sought spiritual fulfilment, Jews remained mired in such pointless concerns as diet and circumcision. As time went on, Europeans developed folklore about malicious Jews who performed sacrificial murders of Christian children and delighted in genital mutilation. But Jews held unwaveringly to the belief that being a Jewish male meant being physically circumcised and to this day even most non-observant Jews continue to follow this practice. In this book, Leonard B. Glick offers a history of Jewish and Christian beliefs about circumcision from its ancient origins to the current controversy.By the turn of the century, more and more physicians in America and England - but not, interestingly, in continental Europe - were performing the procedure routinely. Glick shows that Jewish American physicians were and continue to be especially vocal and influential champions of the practice which, he notes, serves to erase the visible difference between Jewish and gentile males. Informed medical opinion is now unanimous that circumcision confers no benefit and the practice has declined. In Jewish circles it is virtually taboo to question circumcision, but Glick does not flinch from asking whether this procedure should continue to be the defining feature of modern Jewish identity.

In exploring the social background of early Jewish mysticism, "Scholastic Magic" tells the story of how imagination and magic were made to serve memory and scholasticism. In the visionary literature that circulated between the fifth and ninth centuries, there are strange tales of ancient rabbis conjuring the angel known as "Sar-Torah," the "Prince of the Torah." This angel endowed the rabbis themselves with spectacular memory and skill in learning, and then taught them the formulas for giving others these gifts. This literature, according to Michael Swartz, gives us rare glimpses of how ancient and medieval Jews who stood outside the mainstream of rabbinic leadership viewed Torah and ritual. Through close readings of the texts, he uncovers unfamiliar dimensions of the classical Judaic idea of Torah and the rabbinic civilization that forged them.

Swartz sets the stage for his analysis with a discussion of the place of memory and orality in ancient and medieval Judaism and how early educational and physiological theories were marshaled for the cultivation of memory. He then examines the unusual magical rituals for conjuring angels and ascending to heaven as well as the authors' attitudes to authority and tradition, showing them to have subverted essential rabbinic values even as they remained beholden to them. The result is a ground-breaking analysis of the social and conceptual background of rabbinic Judaism and ancient Mediterranean religions. Offering complete translations of the principal "Sar-Torah" texts, "Scholastic Magic" will become essential reading for those interested in religions in the ancient and medieval world, ritual studies, and popular religion.

Originally published in 1996.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

In this in-depth exploration of the symbols found in Navaho legend and ritual, Gladys Reichard discusses the attitude of the tribe members toward their place in the universe, their obligation toward humankind and their gods, and their conception of the supernatural, as well as how the Navaho achieve a harmony within their world through symbolic ceremonial practice.

Originally published in 1990.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Jews spend endless hours of their lives in prayer, yet many Jews view prayer as an obligation to strike off the schedule rather than enjoy and be uplifted by. Since we generally don t learn about prayer past grade school, we often find ourselves praying with the intellectual awareness of fifth graders and we therefore find prayers to be meaningless and empty. This book bridges that very gap connecting the mind to the heart by allowing the laws of prayer, which people know so well, to influence the experience of praying in ways that have not yet been explored.

• Fresh, accessible, and thought-provoking look at the life and ministry of Jesus • Each day’s entry includes a Scripture text, meditation, and questions for journaling and spiritual growth Lent is a journey of the mind, heart, and spirit from the ashes of humanity to the cross and beyond—to the empty tomb. The central figure in that journey is Jesus. But who was he really? Why did he come and minister among us? How can his teachings enhance our lives? Why did he die? What does his resurrection really mean? These are questions that spur believers of all ages to seek a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Son of Man in their lives. In this collection of fifty-two meditations and additional resources for spiritual growth, Peter Wallace guides readers through the life and ministry, the words and works of Jesus, with the goal of getting to know him in fresh new ways that encourage a stronger faith and a spirited engagement with the world around us.

The routines explained here are easy to learn, enjoyable to practice, and produce satisfying results. Learn why meditation is so beneficial and how its regular correct practice can enhance your life. Whether you are presently interested in marginal self-improvement or more accelerated spiritual growth, meditation can be helpful to your purposes. Experience the consciousness-clearing influences of these time-tested meditation techniques which have been proven effective for thousands of years; open your mind and your being to all the good life can and will provide for you.