The Blackwell Companion to Judaism

This Companion explores the history, doctrines, divisions, and contemporary condition of Judaism. Surveys those issues most relevant to Judaic life today: ethics, feminism, politics, and constructive theology. Explores the definition of Judaism and its formative history. Makes sense of the diverse data of an ancient and enduring faith.

Jacob Neusner is Distinguished Research Professor of Religious Studies at the University of South Florida and Professor of Religion at Bard College. He has seven honorary degrees, fourteen academic medals and has published more than 800 books.

Alan J. Avery-Peck is Kraft-Hiatt Professor in Judaic Studies at The College of the Holy Cross. His has published widely and is editor of the journal The Annual of Rabbinic Judaism: Ancient, Medieval and Modern.

Contributors

viii

Preface

xii

Part I The History of Judaism

1

(190)

Defining Judaism

3

(17)

Jacob Neusner

The Religious World of Ancient Israel to 586 BCE

20

(17)

Marvin A. Sweeney

Judaism and the Hebrew Scriptures

37

(21)

Philip R. Davies

Second Temple Judaism

58

(20)

Frederick J. Murphy

The Formation of Rabbinic Judaism, 70--640 CE

78

(15)

Guenter Stemberger

The Canon of Rabbinic Judaism

93

(19)

Jacob Neusner

Judaism and Christianity in the Formative Age

112

(19)

Bruce D. Chilton

Judaism in the Muslim World

131

(11)

Sara Reguer

Judaism in Christendom

142

(20)

David R. Carr

Philosophy in Judaism: Two Stances

162

(19)

S. Daniel Breslauer

Jewish Piety

181

(10)

Tzvee Zahavy

Part II The Principal Doctrines of Judaism

191

(98)

The Doctrine of Torah

193

(19)

Jacob Neusner

The Doctrine of God

212

(18)

Alan J. Avery-Peck

The Doctrine of Israel

230

(17)

Jacob Neusner

The Doctrine of the Messiah

247

(21)

William Scott Green

Jed Silverstein

The Doctrine of Hebrew Language Usage

268

(21)

David H. Aaron

Part III Modern and Contemporary Judaisms

289

(82)

Reform Judaism

291

(20)

Dana Evan Kaplan

Orthodox Judaism

311

(23)

Benjamin Brown

Conservative Judaism: The Struggle between Ideology and Popularity

334

(20)

Daniel Gordis

New Age Judaism

354

(17)

Jeffrey K. Salkin

Part IV Special Topics in Understanding Judaism

371

(141)

Ethics of Judaism

373

(20)

Elliot N. Dorff

Women in Contemporary Judaism

393

(22)

Judith R. Baskin

Judaism as a Theopolitical Phenomenon

415

(26)

Daniel J. Elazar

Contemporary Jewish Theology

441

(20)

Neil Gillman

Secular Forms of Jewishness

461

(16)

Paul Mendes-Flohr

Judaism and Zionism

477

(18)

Yosef Gorny

The ``Return'' to Traditional Judaism at the End of the Twentieth Century: Cross-Cultural Comparisons

495

(17)

M. Herbert Danzger

Abbreviations

512

(3)

Index

515

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The Blackwell Companion to Judaism

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials