Download or read book Defining Judaism written by Aaron W. Hughes and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-08 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Judaism is a monotheistic religion with a history of over 3,500 years. 'Defining Judaism' illustrates the range of theoretical and practical issues required for comparative and historical study of the faith. The texts range from historical attempts to define individual 'Jews' to imagining Judaism as a religion like other religions, to modern and post-modern attempts to decentre these earlier definitions. The reader brings together a wide range of essays from influential scholars of ancient and contemporary Judaism to attempt a full picture of Judaism that will be of interest to all those involved in the study of religion.
Download or read book Defining Jewish Difference written by Beth A. Berkowitz and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-03-19 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book traces the interpretive career of Leviticus 18:3, a verse that forbids Israel from imitating its neighbors. Beth A. Berkowitz shows that ancient, medieval and modern exegesis of this verse provides an essential backdrop for today's conversations about Jewish assimilation and minority identity more generally. The story of Jewishness that this book tells may surprise many modern readers for whom religious identity revolves around ritual and worship. In Leviticus 18:3's story of Jewishness, sexual practice and cultural habits instead loom large. The readings in this book are on a micro-level, but their implications are far-ranging: Berkowitz transforms both our notion of Bible-reading and our sense of how Jews have defined Jewishness.
Download or read book Defining Israel written by Simon Rabinovitch and published by Hebrew Union College Press. This book was released on 2018-11-12 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Defining Israel: The Jewish State, Democracy, and the Law is the first book in any language devoted to the controversial passage of Israel's nation-state law. Israel has no constitution, and though it calls itself the Jewish state there is no agreement among Israelis on how that fact should be reflected in the government's laws or by its courts. Since the 1990s a number of civil society groups and legislators have drafted constitutions and proposed Basic Laws with constitutional standing that would clarify what it means for Israel to be a "Jewish and democratic state." Are these bills liberal or chauvinist? Are they a defense of the Knesset or an attack on the independence of the courts? Is their intention democratic or anti-democratic? The fight over the nation-state law-whether to have one and what should be in it-toppled the 19th Knesset's governing coalition and, even after its passage on July 29, 2018, remains a point of contention among Israel's lawmakers and increasingly the Israeli public. Defining Israel brings together influential scholars, journalists, and politicians, observers and participants, opponents and proponents, Jews and Arabs, all debating the merits and meaning of Israel's nation-state law. Together with translations of each draft law, the final law, and other key documents, the essays and sources in Defining Israel are essential to understand the ongoing debate over what it means for Israel to be a Jewish and democratic state.
Download or read book Defining Judaism written by Aaron W. Hughes and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Encyclopaedia Britannica written by Hugh Chisholm and published by . This book was released on 1910 with total page 1090 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This eleventh edition was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time and it is considered to be a landmark encyclopaedia for scholarship and literary style.
Download or read book Defining Judaism written by Martin S. Jaffee and published by Equinox. This book was released on 2007-11-01 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book illustrates the range of theoretical and practical issues involved in defining Judaism for the purposes of comparative and historical studies. The editor holds that sound definitions of religious traditions in general emerge from complex dialogues between insiders, who define themselves vis a vis outsiders, and outsiders, who theorize and generalize about the self-definitions of insiders. Accordingly, the texts anthologized here include examples of Jewish voices articulating their own native self-understanding as well as academic interpretive discourses proposing to place these self-understandings within historical, anthropogical, or phenomenological frameworks.
Download or read book Defining Judaism written by Aaron W. Hughes and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-08 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Judaism is a monotheistic religion with a history of over 3,500 years. 'Defining Judaism' illustrates the range of theoretical and practical issues required for comparative and historical study of the faith. The texts range from historical attempts to define individual 'Jews' to imagining Judaism as a religion like other religions, to modern and post-modern attempts to decentre these earlier definitions. The reader brings together a wide range of essays from influential scholars of ancient and contemporary Judaism to attempt a full picture of Judaism that will be of interest to all those involved in the study of religion.
Download or read book How Judaism Became a Religion written by Leora Batnitzky and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2011-09-11 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new approach to understanding Jewish thought since the eighteenth century Is Judaism a religion, a culture, a nationality—or a mixture of all of these? In How Judaism Became a Religion, Leora Batnitzky boldly argues that this question more than any other has driven modern Jewish thought since the eighteenth century. This wide-ranging and lucid introduction tells the story of how Judaism came to be defined as a religion in the modern period—and why Jewish thinkers have fought as well as championed this idea. Ever since the Enlightenment, Jewish thinkers have debated whether and how Judaism—largely a religion of practice and public adherence to law—can fit into a modern, Protestant conception of religion as an individual and private matter of belief or faith. Batnitzky makes the novel argument that it is this clash between the modern category of religion and Judaism that is responsible for much of the creative tension in modern Jewish thought. Tracing how the idea of Jewish religion has been defended and resisted from the eighteenth century to today, the book discusses many of the major Jewish thinkers of the past three centuries, including Moses Mendelssohn, Abraham Geiger, Hermann Cohen, Martin Buber, Zvi Yehuda Kook, Theodor Herzl, and Mordecai Kaplan. At the same time, it tells the story of modern orthodoxy, the German-Jewish renaissance, Jewish religion after the Holocaust, the emergence of the Jewish individual, the birth of Jewish nationalism, and Jewish religion in America. More than an introduction, How Judaism Became a Religion presents a compelling new perspective on the history of modern Jewish thought.
Download or read book Religion Or Ethnicity written by Zvi Y. Gitelman and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can someone be considered Jewish if he or she never goes to synagogue, doesn't keep kosher, and for whom the only connection to his or her ancestral past is attending an annual Passover seder? In Religion or Ethnicity? fifteen leading scholars trace the evolution of Jewish identity. The book examines Judaism from the Greco-Roman age, through medieval times, modern western and eastern Europe, to today. Jewish identity has been defined as an ethnicity, a nation, a culture, and even a race. Religion or Ethnicity? questions what it means to be Jewish. The contributors show how the Jewish people have evolved over time in different ethnic, religious, and political movements. In his closing essay, Gitelman questions the viability of secular Jewishness outside Israel but suggests that the continued interest in exploring the relationship between Judaism's secular and religious forms will keep the heritage alive for generations to come.
Download or read book Enochic Judaism written by David R. Jackson and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2004-06-22 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the Books of Enoch, Jackson identifies a paradigm of order as opposed to deviation, which defined orthodoxy and elect identity in a manner which was absolutely exclusive. Over 300 years "Enochic Judaism" developed three working models within this paradigm to explain their worldview and its implications. These three models concerned 1) the fall of the angels under Shemikhazah (ethnic purity); 2) the revealing of secrets under the leadership of 'Aza'el (cultural purity); and 3) the going astray of the cosmos through the sin of the angels who govern its phenomena (liturgical purity). Jackson examines the way in which this tradition was developed within the Dead Sea Scrolls literature and notes its acceptance as authentic and authoritative within the so-called sectarian literature in particular.
Download or read book The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion written by Adele Berlin and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2011 with total page 962 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion has been the go-to resource for students, scholars, and researchers in Judaic Studies since its 1997 publication. Now, The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion, Second Edition focuses on recent and changing rituals in the Jewish community that have come to the fore since the 1997 publication of the first edition, including the growing trend of baby-naming ceremonies and the founding of gay/lesbian synagogues. Under the editorship of Adele Berlin, nearly 200 internationally renowned scholars have created a new edition that incorporates updated bibliographies, biographies of 20th-century individuals who have shaped the recent thought and history of Judaism, and an index with alternate spellings of Hebrew terms. Entries from the previous edition have been be revised, new entries commissioned, and cross-references added, all to increase ease of navigation research." -- Provided by publisher.
Download or read book Judaism Defined written by Benjamin Edidin Scolnic and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2010 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scholars have questioned every aspect of the story of Mattathias in 1 Maccabees; the revisionist narrative turns Mattathias and his Maccabees from the heroes of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and idealistic fighters for religious freedom, into merely ambitious men who ruthlessly strove for power and usurped the high priesthood of Judaea. Dr. Benjamin Edidin Scolnic takes a fresh, unbiased approach to every element of the story: the incident at Mode n, Mattathias's priestly credentials and their implications for his beliefs, the meaning of personal ambition and the greater ambition to create the Jewish kingdom promised by the sacred biblical texts, the meaning of circumcision in his time, and the decision to fight on the Sabbath. Mattathias's actions of zealous violence, as controversial as they were in both his day and as they often are seen today, were primarily for the preservation of his religion and people. Dr. Scolnic asserts that it was Mattathias who defined Judaism and Jewishness for his time.
Download or read book Jewish Self Definition written by Liane Weigel and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2004-06-09 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2003 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: Good, University of Potsdam (Institute for Anglistics/American Studies), language: English, abstract: Assuming an absolute number of 17.5 million Jewish people in the world and 6.9 million of them living in the USA, a discussion of The Jews in America seems indispensable in the context of American Cultural Studies. Jewish identity in this context has been approached in a greater focus with a wider public, political and religious discussion of the question “Who is a Jew?” 1 . This question, which is certainly connected to a difficult answer, became a very important factor, especially for the Jews in the USA during the 20 th century. Therefore this paper attempts to analyse the changing Jewish self- definition in the USA during the 20 th Century. Although it can or will not answer the complex question, “Who is a Jew?” correctly or in a wider sense completely, it will focus on the development of Jewish continuity and the changes in self-definition in the pluralistic society of the United States during the 20 th century. A short acknowledgement on Jewish self- definition and - identification in general will be provided, before facts referring to assimilation, Americanisation and authenticity are discussed. The starting point for the changing Jewish self-definition, which is connected to the immigration at the end of the 19 th and the beginning of the 20 th century will be analysed in the second part. The Holocaust, the worst genocide of the century, was, especially for the German Jews, a dramatic experience. Besides traumatic feelings, the perception of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism in general mainly influenced the Jewish self- definition of American Jews, referring to the concept of Zionism and Redemption as strictly linked to a concept of hostility towards Jews. Considering the strong sense of self- identification and self- definition of the Jewish people will therefore lead to the third part where the influence of the perception of the Holocaust and anti- Semitism on Jewish self- definition is analysed. The following part will refer to the appearance of revolutionary ideas as usually revealed in the development of almost every people, society or religion. In the USA the influence of a pluralistic society opens possibilities to reform Jewishness and Judaism and results in the emergence of two types of Jews in the 60s and 70s that still dominate American Jewry.
Download or read book Enochic Judaism written by David R. Jackson and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2004-06-22 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the Books of Enoch, Jackson identifies a paradigm of order as opposed to deviation, which defined orthodoxy and elect identity in a manner which was absolutely exclusive. Over 300 years "Enochic Judaism" developed three working models within this paradigm to explain their worldview and its implications. These three models concerned 1) the fall of the angels under Shemikhazah (ethnic purity); 2) the revealing of secrets under the leadership of 'Aza'el (cultural purity); and 3) the going astray of the cosmos through the sin of the angels who govern its phenomena (liturgical purity). Jackson examines the way in which this tradition was developed within the Dead Sea Scrolls literature and notes its acceptance as authentic and authoritative within the so-called sectarian literature in particular.
Download or read book Boundaries Identity and belonging in Modern Judaism written by Maria Diemling and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-09-07 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The drawing of boundaries has always been a key part of the Jewish tradition and has served to maintain a distinctive Jewish identity. At the same time, these boundaries have consistently been subject to negotiation, transgression and contestation. The increasing fragmentation of Judaism into competing claims to membership, from Orthodox adherence to secular identities, has brought striking new dimensions to this complex interplay of boundaries and modes of identity and belonging in contemporary Judaism. Boundaries, Identity and Belonging in Modern Judaism addresses these new dimensions, bringing together experts in the field to explore the various and fluid modes of expressing and defining Jewish identity in the modern world. Its interdisciplinary scholarship opens new perspectives on the prominent questions challenging scholars in Jewish Studies. Beyond simply being born Jewish, observance of Judaism has become a lifestyle choice and active assertion. Addressing the demographic changes brought by population mobility and ‘marrying out,’ as well as the complex relationships between Israel and the Diaspora, this book reveals how these shifting boundaries play out in a global context, where Orthodoxy meets innovative ways of defining and acquiring Jewish identity. This book is essential reading for students and scholars of Jewish Studies, as well as general Religious Studies and those interested in the sociology of belonging and identities.
Download or read book Who Is A Jew written by Leonard J. Greenspoon and published by Purdue University Press. This book was released on 2015-04-15 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jewish identity is a perennial concern, as Jews seek to define the major features and status of those who “belong,” while at the same time draw distinctions between individuals and groups on the “inside” and those on the “outside.” From a variety of perspectives, scholarly as well as confessional, there is intense interest among non-Jewish and Jewish commentators alike in the basic question, “Who is a Jew?” This collection of articles draws diverse historical, cultural, and religious insights from scholars who represent a wide range of academic and theological disciplines. Some of the authors directly address the issue of Jewish identity as it is being played out today in Israel and Diaspora communities. Others look to earlier time periods or societies as invaluable resources for enhanced and deepened analysis of contemporary matters. All authors in this collection make a concerted effort to present their evidence and their conclusions in a way that is accessible to the general public and valid for other scholars. The result is a richly textured approach to a topic that seems always relevant. If, as is the case, no single answer appeals to all of the authors, this is as it should be. We all gain from the application of a number of approaches and perspectives, which enrich our appreciation of the people whose lives are affected, for better or worse, by real-life discussions of this issue and the resultant actions toward exclusivity or inclusivity.
Download or read book Defining Judaism written by Jacob Neusner and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
