History of Religion Books - Page 5

Studies in Maimonides and His Interpreters

Marc B. Shapiro

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Editorial Review:

More than 800 years after his death, the figure of Moses Maimonides—rabbi, philosopher, doctor, and communal leader—continues to fascinate. Studies in Maimonides and His Interpreters unites the traditional rabbinic approach and the modern academic perspective to forge a new understanding of this iconic teacher. 
This groundbreaking work by Marc B. Shapiro, which includes an essay on Maimonides’ approach to superstition in rabbinic literature and features three previously unpublished letters by Rabbi Joseph Kafih, will be essential reading for scholars and students of Jewish studies.

The Mystery of the Kaddish: Its Profound Influence on Judaism

Leon H. Charney

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Dissenting opinion 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this book on the strength of "Customers who bought..." " also bought..." recommendation from Amazon.
Without doubt this book is one of the most misleading books on the subject of the Kaddish I have read so far. The title and the contents hardly match. Several chapters in the book are devoted to the holocaust, to the history of persecution of jews over the centuries, and to the meaning of death, peripheral issues which should have been dealt with in references or few paragraphs, not chapters, they are not core issues for such a title. This was done in order to support the central theory that the mourners' Kaddish originated to provide an outlet for grief during times of persecution, a slender theory which is never substantiated with research or evidence.
Furthemore the exposition lacks cohesion and is peppered with untranslated Hebrew jargon which may appeal to the knowledgeable orthodox Jew, but not to the general public, Jewish or otherwise.
Finally even the core theory is left unproven and seems to have been just a pet theory that the authors thought might justify the writing of a book.

Readers wanting to learn about the development of the Kaddish over the centuries and its transformation into the mourners' Kaddish will be greatly disappointed by this book.

Editorial Review:

The Kaddish has long been considered to be a special prayer for the dead. It isn't. Those who recite the prayer faithfully for fifty-two Friday nights after the death of a loved one may wonder why there is no place for the name of the deceased in the prayer. This book contains much new information on the Kaddish, including how it was created during the Crusades as an homage to God.

Christ in the Feast of Tabernacles

David Brickner

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Stumbling Block - Gross Simplifications, Distortions 1 out of 5 stars.
6 of 11 people found this review helpful.

The Rosens' book does discuss some of the rituals of the Passover Seder, however, their description of Jewish law and the meanings behind the symbols are at best a gross simplification and at worse completely off-target, which I attribute to the disparity between Jewish and Christian theology. One glaring example is a discussion found on pages 51 and 84 - the Rosens contend that the wine of the Passover Seder `... graphically represent[s] the blood of the Passover lamb ...' based off their reading of Pesakhim 7:13 (Pesakhim is a tractate of codified Jewish Law which describes the laws of Passover) and other unnamed `ancient commentaries' and thus connect it to the wine of the Eucharist. However, the verse they reference in Pesakhim does not exist, and this concept is anathema to Judaism which proscribes the consuming of life-blood in any measure.
Other discussion in their work also falls short of describing Jewish understanding, as brief examples, I would cite the following:
- The leaven is not necessarily a representation of sin, but of preoccupation in the material world. The three matzot do not connote the Trinity (p 70, 76, etc), but rather the three stages of liberation from Egypt - freedom from slavery, the splitting of the Reed Sea, and the journey through the wilderness. The translations of verses from Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 12 (p 70, 86) are wrong and out of context, and the related discussion of `striping' on the matzot (p 70) does not apply.
- The description of the preparation of the Paschal sacrifice beginning on page 25 is inaccurate. The offering is unblemished as is every other offering, but was not brought into the household for adoration. The Paschal sacrifice is by no means a redemption from sin (`G-d's holiness demands that He judge sin, and the price is costly indeed', p 26) but rather recognition of G-d's sovereignty.
- The discussion of the blessings on the fourth cup of wine is misleading; the concept of the Divine Messiah and Savior and the Second Coming are Christian concepts, the Melekh haMoshiakh of Judaism is wholly human and there is no indication of a Second Coming in Jewish Scripture.
- The description of the kittel on page 73 is fairly accurate, but the `crown' or `mitre' discussed on pages 73-75 (to denote the `leader of the feast' as king and religious leader) is a distortion of a mitre worn by Reform Judaism cantors in synagogue worship. Actual Jewish practice is that at Passover we are all `kings and free men', and we are all enjoined to participate and lead discussion during the Seder.
- The liturgy of the Sephardic Seder discussed on page 91 does not include symbolism relating to `perfect, sinless life' of the Messiah and sacrificial death related to the Paschal lamb as presented. The discussion on page 82 regarding the afikomen goes astray when it brings in the verse from Luke 22:19 `This is My body ...'
In my opinion, the Rosens are not qualified to address many of the examples they give in their book; although Judaism encourages inspection and analysis to foster understanding by the individual, I think the Rosens' discussion is misguided with the preconceived notion of reconciling the Jewish themes of Passover with Christian theology. Presenting this book as an application of what they consider `Orthodox Jew[ish]' learning is, by any measure, a stumbling block.

Editorial Review:

The author is the current president of Jews for Jesus, a ministry dedicated to reaching Jews with the Gospel. This book is written for Jews, messianic believers, and Gentiles curious about the connection between the ancient fall festival of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ, and for missionaries evangelizing to Jewish people. A companion book to Christ in the Passover.

Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament

J. JuliusJr. Scott

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Intertestamental Judaism & History. 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent book on the subject of judaism in the period between the OT and the NT.
Mr.Scott covers a lot of ground regarding religious beliefs and how they changed over time.
There were different branches of judaism with similarities as well as differences.The author also details some contrasts between Samaritans,Pharisees,and Sadducees.

There is some helpful information on the Septuagint,it's source,and difference of translation between the hebrew OT and the greek OT.

Mr.Scott looks at Josephus and Philo and the value of their writings in the study of intertestamental judaism,with some understandable scepticism of Josephus.

He also details the priesthood and rivalry between families-Zadokites and Tobiads.The pollution of the priesthood is also discussed.

He covers the start of rabbinical judaism and the circumstances that led to the percieved need for oral law/tradition as a hedge around Torah.
There was some interesting information about Simon bar Kosiba(Kochba).

There is an "Intertestamental Calendar and Festivals Table" that is an excellent resource about the Biblical feasts.This period also saw the addition and alteration of some OT feasts.

The use of the sacred name is discussed.
"The Talmud and other rabbinical sources indicate that by the time of Simon the Just(c.200BC)the divine name was no longer pronounced,except by the high priest on Yom Kippur".
He also had an interesting perspective on the sabbatical and Jubilee years.
"The sabbatical year,occuring every seventh year and the Jubilee,every fiftieth year,prevented the accumulation of too much wealth and oppression of the poor".

There is a very good list of general sources,frequent footnotes and quotes.
I found a few minor points that I think are debatable in the book.That doesn't lessen the value of the author's work.
While not as comprehensive as Edersheim's "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah", this book is a good choice for anyone interested in the diverse beliefs and Messianic expectations of the period.

Editorial Review:

A survey of intertestamental Judaism focusing on the customs and controversies which provide insight into the New Testament.

A History of Ancient Israel and Judah, Second Edition

James Maxwell Miller, John Haralson Hayes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

A Nice Introduction to Ancient Israel 4 out of 5 stars.
48 of 51 people found this review helpful.

J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes' A History of Ancient Israel and Judah provides a solid introduction to the methods and problems of studying the development of the kingdoms that came to be known as Israel and Judah. The book deals with events from the time of Israel's origins (the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages) to the work of Ezra and Nehemiah (the fifth and fourth centuries BCE). On the whole, A History is more cautious with the biblical texts than other histories of ancient Israel, such as John Bright's A History of Israel. Miller and Hayes spend less time offering guesses about the more speculative aspects of Israel's history, such as the patriarchs and exodus, and concentrate their efforts on the later period (tenth to fifth centuries BCE) for which conclusions are more certain. From its beginning, this study is very much set within the geographical, political, economic, and religious context of the ancient Near East and Egypt as a whole. Perhaps the most attractive feature of this work is the inclusion of both photographs and fairly complete translations of extra-biblical documents pertinent to various stages of Israel's history. A History is divided into chronological segments, and the authors proceed by summarizing the biblical texts germane to the time period, critically examining these accounts along with extra-biblical and archaeological evidence, and then drawing conclusions. If the book has a major weakness, it is the absence of either footnotes or endnotes, but the authors provide a sizable topical bibliography at the conclusion of the book, and overall, A History of Ancient Israel and Judah is sound, readable scholarship.

Editorial Review:

This classic textbook, widely used for over two decades, constructs a history of ancient Israel and Judah through a thorough investigation of epigraphical, archaeological, and biblical sources. Approaching biblical history as history, Miller and Hayes examine the political and economic factors that give context to the Israelite monarchy’s actions and the biblical writers’ accounts. Now updated with the latest research and critical discoveries, including the Tell Dan Inscription, and considering the lively debate surrounding the reliability of biblical accounts, Miller and Hayes’s judicious and evenhanded portrayal gives detailed attention to the nature, strengths, and limitations of various forms of evidence for understanding Israel’s origins and early history. The new edition also includes thirty-four new maps, helpful notes, and numerous charts and photographs.

"Our Crowd": The Great Jewish Families of New York (Modern Jewish History)

Stephen Birmingham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Engaging history 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 12 people found this review helpful.

A very interesting history of the great Jewish families of New York. Birmingham flings the door open on some of the most reclusive and secretive oligopolies in business history. Not only is it an eye opening history of the German jews in New York but it is engaging and interesting to read. It does not read like a textbook. Birmingham has really done his homework. If you want to learn about some real eccentric/succesful personalities and about the German jewish families ofNew York, this is the best book on the subject.

Where are the Glories of Yesteryear? 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I read this book many years ago and found it yet another fascinating chapter, in that endlessly fascinating story of how Jews have lived through the generations. My guess is that the scions of a good share of the families chronicled here are no longer part of the Jewish world.
Here the question is raised of the mixed feelings created by ' successful Jews who are no longer very Jewish, or in other cases consciously and decidedly not Jewish.
The Schiffs, the Warburgs, the Belmonts, the Ochs- Sulzbergers , the Morgenthaus,et. al. .
Where are the Glories of Yesteryear?

Editorial Review:

"Future American histories will have to take into account (his) financial and social history and imposing cast of characters". -- The New York Times Book Review

The Wicked Son: Anti-Semitism, Self-hatred, and the Jews (Jewish Encounters)

David Mamet

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Important Theme, Botched 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Though sympathetic to Mamet's general premise, I found more to dislike about the book than I anticipated. What bothered me most were:
1) Mamet's authoritative voice was presumptuous and pedantic, especially when his arguments were thin, muddled, or unconvincing.
2) The use of Freudian theory/ terminology to buttress those arguments.
3) The erroneousness of Mamet's target: Mamet considers as "apostates" not just the obvious Chomsky-Finkelstein types ( deserving of his buckshot ), and Jews scornful of Judaism ( also buckshot-worthy ), but any Jew who isn't a regular attendee at synagogue. To Mamet, the Jew who doesn't study Torah is part of the problem. And his sole prescription for these apostates? Get thee to a shul.
4) Mamet's tone, throughout, is lofty, arrogant, and without sympathy even when his targets are harmless, non-apostate innocents who happen to irk him, and who he drags in to the fight ( i.e., poets, writers, and artists who participate in artist groups, whom he calls liars for thinking their work has worth ).
The book has its strengths, and the first few chapters dealing with anti-Semitism are good, but from there on it's a rough ride, sometimes interesting, with an erratic driver who does a lot of talking to himself.

Editorial Review:

As might be expected from this fiercely provocative writer, David Mamet’s interest in anti-Semitism is not limited to the modern face of an ancient hatred but encompasses as well the ways in which many Jews have themselves internalized that hatred. Using the metaphor of the Wicked Son at the Passover seder–the child who asks, “What does this story mean to you?”–Mamet confronts what he sees as an insidious predilection among some Jews to seek truth and meaning anywhere–in other religions, in political movements, in mindless entertainment–but in Judaism itself. At the same time, he explores the ways in which the Jewish tradition has long been and still remains the Wicked Son in the eyes of the world.

Written with the searing honesty and verbal brilliance that is the hallmark of Mamet’s work, The Wicked Son is a scathing look at one of the most destructive and tenacious forces in contemporary life, a powerfully thought-provoking and important book.

The Story of the Jews : A 4,000-Year Adventure

Stan Mack

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Fun and user friendly 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

First off, I am biased. I love Stan Mack. He was my favorite cartoonist when I was in high school and college, back when he was with the Village Voice.

The book is fun and user friendly. Perfect, no - there are some areas where his NYC Liberal Jewish impulses might have stifled a deeper or more balanced approach (I think the issue of "choseness" could have been explained differently.) But over all, I highly recommend this book. Solomon Graysel and others have deeper, richer, but tougher to read books on the same topic. Why go the Stan Mack route? Stans approach is funny, edgy and smart. I loved it.

Editorial Review:

A Fresh Look at 4,000 Years of Jewish History--Authoritative, Complete...Funny

Through witty, illustrated narrative, celebrated artist Stan Mack will take you on a rewarding pictorial journey through 4,000 years of ups and downs in Jewish history. The first "graphic history book" of its kind, The Story of the Jews celebrates the major characters and events that have shaped the Jewish people and culture, illustrating what it means to be Jewish.

In this book you will visit all the major Jewish happenings from biblical times to the twenty-first century--from Abraham and Sarah on the banks of the Euphrates to the diaspora, intermarriage, and the State of Israel.

* Moses receiving the Ten Commandments * The triumph of King David * The creation of the Talmud * The rise of Christianity and Islam * The Crusades * The Inquisition * The Enlightenment * Life in the new Babylon (the United States) * The birth of the State of Israel * And--of course--the world's first "Oy!"

A History of Prophecy in Israel - revised and enlarged

Joseph Blenkinsopp

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Critical introduction to OT prophecy from a leading scholar 3 out of 5 stars.
15 of 35 people found this review helpful.

Measured by his own narrow objectives and admitted limitations the book of the author is a success. The entire time span of prophecy is covered in one book and he develops convincing arguments for a tradition of prophecy in Israel.
Blenkinsopp does not let us know who the intended audience of his book is. He could not have in mind the time -pressured human of today's high tech world. One cannot find a single chart or graphical overview in his book, maybe a modern scholar of his educational level considers charts and graphical overviews as unworthy of a scholar.
The main method Blenkinsopp uses is the analysis of literary development, or source criticism (=historical). In many aspects Blenkinsopp is influenced by the theology of Bernhard Duhm. Considering that Duhm was a personal friend of Wellhausen and a fellow professor in Goettingen it should not come to the reader as a surprise that source criticism is overemphasized at the cost of a more thematic approach. Like Gerhard von Rad in his preface to Genesis said, "source analysis is not the final conclusion of wisdom" the reader sometimes feels that he could draw the same conclusions as Blankinsopp, but without all the detailed speculative source analysis.
For the conservative Christian who believes in the inspiration, inerrancy or infallibility of scripture Blenkinsopp offers some unacceptable pills to swallow when he states that: biblical sources are confused and self-contradictory (p.199), this narrative appears to be a free composition (1 Kings 13:1-32; p.158), ideological reasons drove the composition of texts (p.151), Chronicles is not the most reliable of sources (p.119), failures of the biblical historian (p.117), and hyperbolic fantasies of Nahum (p.112) etc. However one wonders if the author leaves room for partial inspiration of texts when he talks about Isaiah 53 (p.192&193) In general though supernatural prediction are excluded as a possibility, so that a prediction about the fate of Bethel in Amos automatically leads to the assumption that this section has been added later in the light of Josiah's reform (p.164).
The conservative Christian might ask himself what the critical view of the prophetic scriptures offers over a traditional or non-critical. It does not need a critical view of prophecy to identify one's social responsibility. But maybe the book offers solutions of dealing intellectually with prophetic phenomena in the Pentecostal or charismatic movement.

Editorial Review:

This revised and enlarged edition of Joseph Blenkinsopp's 1983 book will be a welcome addition to the libraries of serious Biblical scholars. The author critically recounts the history of Israelite prophecy from a social-historical perspective.

Jesus and Judaism

E. P Sanders

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Just the facts, please 5 out of 5 stars.
80 of 84 people found this review helpful.

Sanders is more of a historian than a theologian. He is concerned to uncover the real, historical Jesus. He explains his methodology in some detail. That is a good place to begin, because it enables the reader to evaluate both Sanders' methodology and his sifting of the historical evidence.

Sanders explicitly bases his reconstruction on the facts of Jesus' life, rather than Jesus' sayings. He is on the cynical end of N.T. scholarship -- he believes that it is impossible in virtually every case to establish the authenticity of Jesus' sayings. However, he believes there is considerable agreement about many of the facts: e.g., that Jesus threatened the destruction of the Temple, that he appointed twelve apostles, and that his followers sought to convert Gentiles.

Sanders agrees with Schweitzer in setting Jesus' ministry in the context of Jewish eschatology. That is, Jesus believed that the end was at hand: God was about to intervene and create a new order of existence, including a new Temple. At that time, God would appoint Jesus' apostles to rule over Israel. When the end of the current order did not immediately come about, Paul (and other early Christians) set out to convert Gentiles -- a necessary stage in the process leading up to the end.

On the other hand, Sanders rejects some of the traditional interpretations of Jesus' life and work. In particular, he denies that Jesus was killed for his teaching about law vs. grace. Sanders (who is widely acknowledged as an authority on extra-biblical Jewish literature) argues that all Jews believed in grace, including the Pharisees. If Jesus had brought about the conversion of notorious sinners and offered them forgiveness on condition of repentance, he would have been hailed as a national hero -- not crucified as a heretic.

Sanders argues that, when the Gospels speak of "sinners", we should take the word at full force. Jesus taught that, in view of the imminent end, wicked people could enter the kingdom without repentance and reformation of life. Thus the Pharisees and other Jews were understandably offended by his practice.

The value of Sanders' work is: (a) His cynicism leads him to be very careful in his handling of the evidence -- no speculative leaps. (b) His expertise in extra-biblical Jewish literature enables him to refute some of the stereotypical caricatures of Jesus' Jewish opponents -- particularly the Pharisees. Such caricatures are still being expounded in pulpits throughout North America, and Sanders sets the record straight.

On the other hand, I think Sanders is too cynical. He rejects conclusions which are widely accepted by other scholars. In specific, his opinion that Jesus accepted the wicked without requiring them to repent stretches credulity.

Nonetheless, this is still a five-star work. A careful reader will learn much, and be considerably challenged. It isn't the last word on the historical Jesus, but it does go some way toward defining the parameters of the debate!

Editorial Review:

This work takes up two related questions with regard to Jesus: his intention and his relationship to his contemporaries in Judaism. These questions immediately lead to two others: the reason for his death (did his intention involve an opposition to Judaism which led to death?) and the motivating force behind the rise of Christianity (did the split between the Christian movement and Judaism originate in opposition during Jesus' lifetime?).