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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian religions > Judaism
In recent years scholars have re-evaluated the "parting of the
ways" between Judaism and Christianity, reaching new understandings
of the ways shared origins gave way to two distinct and sometimes
inimical religious traditions. But this has been a profoundly
textual task, relying on the writings of rabbis, bishops, and other
text-producing elites to map the terrain of the "parting." This
book takes up the question of the divergence of Judaism and
Christianity in terms of material--the stuff made, used, and left
behind by the persons that lived in and between these religions as
they were developing. Considering the glass, clay, stone, paint,
vellum, and papyrus of ancient Jews and Christians, this book maps
the "parting" in new ways, and argues for a greater role for
material and materialism in our reconstructions of the past.
This book surveys the uses and function of prophecy, prophets, and
oracles among Jews, Christians, and pagans in the first three
centuries of the Roman Empire and explores how prophecy and
prophetic texts functioned as a common language that enabled
religious discourse to develop between these groups. It shows that
each of these cultures believed that it was in prophetic texts and
prophetic utterances that they could find the surest proof of their
religious beliefs and a strong confirmation of their group
identity.
This volume is part of the Changing Perspectives sub-series, which
is constituted by anthologies of articles by world-renowned
biblical scholars and historians that have made an impact on the
field and changed its course during the last decades. This volume
offers a collection of seminal essays by Keith Whitelam on the
early history of ancient Palestine and the origins and emergence of
Israel. Collected together in one volume for the first time, and
featuring one unpublished article, this volume will be of interest
to biblical and ancient Near Eastern scholars interested in the
politics of historical representation but also on critical ways of
constructing the history of ancient Palestine.
E. P. Sanders is Arts and Sciences Professor of Religion Emeritus
at Duke University and has taught at McMaster University and
Queen's College, Oxford.
This book follows Chagall's life through his art and his
understanding of the role of the artist as a political being. It
takes the reader through the different milieus of the nineteenth
and twentieth centuries - including the World Wars and the
Holocaust - to present a unique understanding of Chagall's artistic
vision of peace in an age of extremes. At a time when all
identities are being subsumed into a "national" identity, this book
makes the case for a larger understanding of art as a way of
transcending materiality. The volume explores how Platonic notions
of truth, goodness, and beauty are linked and mutually illuminating
in Chagall's work. A "spiritual-humanist" interpretation of his
life and work renders Chagall's opus more transparent and
accessible to the general reader. It will be essential reading for
students of art and art history, political philosophy, political
science, and peace studies.
The Routledge Handbook of Muslim-Jewish Relations invites readers
to deepen their understanding of the historical, social, cultural,
and political themes that impact modern-day perceptions of
interfaith dialogue. The volume is designed to illuminate positive
encounters between Muslims and Jews, as well as points of conflict,
within a historical framework. Among other goals, the volume seeks
to correct common misperceptions about the history of Muslim-Jewish
relations by complicating familiar political narratives to include
dynamics such as the cross-influence of literary and intellectual
traditions. Reflecting unique and original collaborations between
internationally-renowned contributors, the book is intended to
spark further collaborative and constructive conversation and
scholarship in the academy and beyond.
This book provides a new reading of the biblical book of Numbers in
a commentary form. Mainstream readings have tended to see the book
as a haphazard junkyard of material that connects Genesis-Leviticus
with Deuteronomy (and Joshua), composed at a late stage in the
history of ancient Israel. By contrast, this book reads Numbers as
part of a wider work of Genesis-Joshua, a carefully crafted
programmatic settler colonial document for a new society in
Canaanite highlands in the late second millennium BCE that seeks to
replace pre-existing indigenous societies. In the context of the
tremendous influence that the biblical documents have had on the
world in the last 2,000-3,000 years, the book also offers pointers
towards reading these texts today. This volume is a fascinating
study of this text, and will be of interest not only to biblical
scholars, but to anyone with an interest in the history of the
ancient Levant, and colonisation and colonialism in the ancient
world more broadly.
Changing the Immutable focuses on how segments of Orthodox society
have taken upon themselves to rewrite the past, by covering up and
literally cutting out that which does not fit in with their
contemporary world-view. For reasons ranging from theological
considerations to internal religious politics to changing religious
standards, such Jewish self-censorship abounds, and Marc Shapiro
discusses examples from each category, In a number of cases the
original text is shown alongside how it looked after it was
censored, together with an explanation of what made the text
problematic and how the issue was resolved. The author considers
how some Orthodox historiography sees truth as entirely
instrumental. Drawing on the words of leading rabbis, particularly
from the haredi world, he shows that what is important is not
historical truth, but a 'truth' that leads to observance and faith
in the sages. He concludes with a discussion of the concept of
truth in the Jewish tradition, and when this truth can be altered.
Changing the Immutable also reflects on the paradox of a society
that regards itself as traditional, but at the same time is
uncomfortable with much of the inherited tradition and thus feels
the need to create an idealized view of the past. It considers this
practice in context, showing the precedents for this in Jewish
history dating back to talmudic times. Since the subjects of
censorship have included such figures as Maimonides, Bahya ibn
Pakuda, Rashi, Naphtali Herz Wessely, Moses Mendelssohn, the Hatam
Sofer, Samson Raphael Hirsch, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, A. I. Kook,
and J. B. Soloveitchik, as well as issues such as Zionism, biblical
interpretation, and attitudes to women and gentiles, Changing the
Immutable also serves as a study in Jewish intellectual history and
how the ideas of one era do not always find favour with future
generations.
Arguing about Judaism differs from other introductions to Judaism.
It is unique, not solely in its engaging dialogues between a Reform
rabbi and a humanist, atheist philosopher, but also in its
presentation of and challenges to the fundamental religious beliefs
of the Jewish heritage and their relevance to today's Jewish
community. The dialogues contain both Jewish narratives and
philosophical responses, with topics ranging from the nature of God
to controversies over sexual relations, animal welfare and the
environment - from antisemitism to the state of Israel and Zionism.
Although the rabbi and philosopher argue strongly, clearly enjoying
the cut and thrust of debate, they do so with sensitivity, charm
and respect, revealing the rich intricacies of the Jewish religion
and contemporary Jewish life. While essential reading for those
studying Judaism and Jewish history, the book aims to stimulate
debate more generally amongst Jews and non-Jews, the religious and
the atheist - all those with a general interest in religion and
philosophy.
This study presents the first comprehensive survey of the abundant
early Islamic sources that recognize the historical Jewish bond to
the Temple Mount (Masjid al-Aqsa) and Jerusalem. Analyzing these
sources in light of the views of contemporary Muslim religious
scholars, thinkers and writers, who - in the context of the
Arab-Israeli conflict - deny any Jewish ties to the Temple Mount
and promote the argument that no Jewish Temple ever stood on the
Temple Mount. The book describes how this process of denying Jewish
ties to the site has become the cultural rationale for UNESCO
decisions in recent years regarding holy sites in Jerusalem,
Bethlehem and Hebron, which use Muslim Arabic terminology and
overlook the Jewish (and Christian) history and sanctification of
these sites. Denying the Jewish ties to the Temple Mount for
political purposes inadvertently undermines the legitimacy of
Islam's sanctification of Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock as well
as the credibility of the most important sources in Arabic, which
constitute the classics of Islam and provide the foundation for its
culture and identity. Identifying and presenting the Jewish sources
in the Bible, Babylonian Talmud and exegesis on which these Islamic
traditions are based, this volume is a key resource for readers
interested in Islam, Judaism, religion and political science and
history in the Middle East.
Imperialism and Biblical Prophecy is a radically new interpretation
of prophetic poetry. Using more than thirty new translations from
the Hebrew Bible, it shows that this poetry is inseparable from
imperialism, that each of the three major waves of biblical
prophecy which have survived in the Old Testament occurred in
response to simultaneous waves of imperialist conquest.
The term Ethical Monotheism is an important marker in Judaism's
tumultuous transition into the modern era. The term emerged in the
context of culture-wars concerning the question of whether or not
Jews could or should become emancipated citizens of modern European
states. It appeared in arguments whether or not Judaism could be
considered a Religion of Reason-a symbolic, motivational
representation of a universal morality, and in debates about
whether or not Judaism could or should reform itself into a
Religion of Reason. This book is both a decisive departure from
such discussions and an attempt to add a further, post-modern,
statement to their ongoing development. As departure, it refuses to
take for granted a philosophical conception of Religion of Reason
as the standard for Ethical Monotheism according to which Judaism
was to be evaluated or reformed. As continuation, the book
undertakes a phenomenology of Jewish modes of ethical religiosity
that allows it to inquire what kind of ethical monotheism Judaism
might be. Through sophisticated analysis of select "snapshots," or
"fragments of a hologram," guided by a robust theory of religion,
the author discloses Judaic ethical monotheism as an ongoing
wrestling with the meaning of justice. By closely examining five
main "snapshots" of this long process-the Bible, rabbinic Judaism,
Maimonides, The Zohar, and the modern philosophers, Buber and
Levinas-the author offers his own constructive philosophy of
Judaism and his own distinctive philosophy of religion. Ethical
Monotheism offers a new way to think about Judaism as a religion
and as a coherent philosophical debate, and demonstrates the need
to integrate philosophy, history, cognitive psychology,
anthropology, theology, and history of science in the study of
"religion."
In recent years, there has been an upsurge of interest in religion
and religious issues. Some have linked this to a neo-liberal form
of individualism, while others noted that secularism has left
people bereft of a humanly necessary link with the transcendent.
The importance of identity issues has also been remarked upon. This
book examines how liberal forms of religion are allowing people to
engage with religion on their own terms, while also feeling part of
something more universal. Looking at liberal approaches to the
Abrahamic faiths - Judaism, Protestant and Roman Catholic
Christianity and Islam - this book teases out how postmodern
culture has shaped the way in which people engage with these
religions. It also compares and contrasts how liberal thinking and
theology have been expressed in each of the faiths examined, as
well as the reactionary responses to its emergence. By considering
how liberalism has influenced the narrative around the Abrahamic
faiths, this book demonstrates how malleable faith and spirituality
can be. As such, it will be of interest to scholars working in
Religious Studies, Theology, Sociology and Cultural Anthropology.
A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax introduces and abridges the
syntactical features of the original language of the Hebrew
Bible/Old Testament. An intermediate-level reference grammar for
Biblical Hebrew, it assumes an understanding of elementary
phonology and morphology, and it defines and illustrates the
fundamental syntactical features of Biblical Hebrew that most
intermediate-level readers struggle to master. The volume divides
Biblical Hebrew syntax and morphology into four parts. The first
three cover the individual words (nouns, verbs, and particles) with
the goal of helping the reader move from morphological and
syntactical observations to meaning and significance. The fourth
section moves beyond phrase-level phenomena and considers the
larger relationships of clauses and sentences. Since publication of
the first edition, research on Biblical Hebrew syntax has
substantially evolved. This new edition incorporates these
developments through detailed descriptions of grammatical phenomena
from a linguistics approach. It retains the labels and terminology
used in the first edition to maintain continuity with the majority
of entry-level and more advanced grammars.
First published in 1947 The Essentials of Liberal Judaism explores
the fundamental ideas of liberal Judaism. Rabbi Israel Mattuck
explains that liberal Judaism is concerned not only with the
question, where shall we find the teachings of Judaism, but also
with the question, how shall we find them? He discusses important
themes like conception of God in Judaism; grounds for the belief in
God; problem of evil; guidance of God in human history; sin,
repentance and atonement; Judaism and the social order; liberal
Judaism and orthodox Judaism; differences between Judaism and
Christianity and what it means to be a Jew, to argue that it is the
fundamental principle of liberal Judaism that Judaism is a
developing religion. This book is a must read for scholars of
Judaism, history of Judaism, and religion.
The term 'rabbi' predominantly denotes Jewish men qualified to
interpret the Torah and apply halacha, or those entrusted with the
religious leadership of a Jewish community. However, the role of
the rabbi has been understood differently across the Jewish world.
While in Israel they control legally powerful rabbinical courts and
major religious political parties, in the Jewish communities of the
Diaspora this role is often limited by legal regulations of
individual countries. However, the significance of past and present
rabbis and their religious and political influence endures across
the world. Rabbis of Our Time provides a comprehensive overview of
the most influential rabbinical authorities of Judaism in the 20th
and 21st Century. Through focussing on the most theologically
influential rabbis of the contemporary era and examining their
political impact, it opens a broader discussion of the relationship
between Judaism and politics. It looks at the various centres of
current Judaism and Jewish thinking, especially the State of Israel
and the USA, as well as locating rabbis in various time periods.
Through interviews and extracts from religious texts and books
authored by rabbis, readers will discover more about a range of
rabbis, from those before the formation of Israel to the most
famous Chief Rabbis of Israel, as well as those who did not reach
the highest state religious functions, but influenced the relation
between Judaism and Israel by other means. The rabbis selected
represent all major contemporary streams of Judaism, from
ultra-Orthodox/Haredi to Reform and Liberal currents, and together
create a broader picture of the scope of contemporary Jewish
thinking in a theological and political context. An extensive and
detailed source of information on the varieties of Jewish thinking
influencing contemporary Judaism and the modern State of Israel,
this book is of interest to students and scholars of Jewish
Studies, as well as Religi
In the aftermath of the conquest of the Holy Land by the Romans and
their destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, Jews were faced
with a world in existential chaos-both they and their God were
rendered homeless. In a religious tradition that had equated Divine
approval with peaceful dwelling on the Land, this situation was
intolerable. So the rabbis, aspirants for leadership of the
post-destruction Jewish community, appropriated inherited
traditions and used them as building blocks for a new religious
structure. Not unexpectedly, given the circumstances, this new
rabbinic formation devoted considerable attention to matters of
space and place. Rabbinic Judaism: Space and Place offers the first
comprehensive study of spatiality in Rabbinic Judaism of late
antiquity, exploring how the rabbis reoriented the Jewish
relationship with space and place following the destruction of the
Jerusalem temple. Drawing upon the insights of theorists such as
Tuan and LeFebvre, who define the crisis that "homelessness"
represents and argue for the deep relationship of human societies
to their places, the book examines the compositions of the rabbis
and discovers both a surprisingly aggressive rabbinic spatial
imagination as well as places, most notably the synagogue, where
rabbinic attention to space and place is suppressed or absent. It
concludes that these represent two different but simultaneous
rabbinic strategies for re-placing God and Israel-strategies that
at the same time allow God and Israel to find a place anywhere.
This study offers new insight into the centrality of space and
place to rabbinic religion after the destruction of the Temple, and
as such would be a key resource to students and scholars interested
in rabbinic and ancient Judaism, as well as providing a major new
case study for anthropologists interested in the study of space.
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