Judaism's great debates : timeless controversies from Abraham to Herzl / Barry L. Schwartz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schwartz, Barry L.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Judaism--History.

Judaism.

Religious disputations.

Judaism--Doctrines.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (125 p.)

Place of Publication:

Lincoln, Neb. : University of Nebraska Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Thanks to these generous donors for making the publication of this book possible: David Lerman and Shelley Wallock; D. Walter Cohen, Wendy and Leonard Cooper; Rabbi Howard Gorin; Gittel and Alan Hilibrand; Marjorie and Jeffrey Major; Jeanette Lerman Neubauer and Joe Neubauer; Gayle and David Smith; and Harriet and Donald Young. Ever since Abraham's famous argument with God, Judaism has been full of debate. Moses and Korah, David and Nathan, Hillel and Shammai, the Vilna Gaon and the Ba'al Shem Tov, Spinoza and the Amsterdam Rabbis . . . the list goes on. Jews debate justice, authority, inclusion, spirituality, resistance, evolution, Zionism, and more. No wonder that Judaism cherishes the expression machloket l'shem shamayim, "an argument for the sake of heaven." In this concise but important survey, Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz presents the provocative and vibrant thesis that debate and disputation are not only encouraged within Judaism but reside at the very heart of Jewish history and theology. In his graceful, engaging, and creative prose, Schwartz presents an introduction to an intellectual history of Judaism through the art of argumentation. Beyond their historical importance, what makes these disputations so compelling is that nearly all of them, regardless of their epochs, are still being argued. Schwartz builds the case that the basis of Judaism is a series of unresolved rather than resolved arguments. Drawing on primary sources, and with a bit of poetic license, Schwartz reconstructs the real or imagined dialogue of ten great debates and then analyzes their significance and legacy. This parade of characters spanning three millennia of biblical, rabbinic, and modern disputation reflects the panorama of Jewish history with its monumental political, ethical, and spiritual challenges.

Contents:

Cover; Title Page; Copyright Page; Contents; Acknowledgments; Introduction: Arguing for the Sake of Heaven; Part One: Biblical Judaism; 1. Abraham and God: The First Jewish Debate over Justice; 2. Moses and Korah: The Debate over Holiness and Authority; 3. The Five Daughters and the Twelve Tribes: The Debate over Inclusion; 4. David and Nathan: The Debate over Accountability and Morality; Part Two: Rabbinic Judaism; 5. Ben Zakkai and the Zealots: The Debate over Resistance; 6. Hillel and Shammai: The Debate over Jewish Law; 7. The Vilna Gaon and the Baal Shem Tov: The Debate over Spirituality.

Abraham and God : the first Jewish debate over justice

Moses and Korah : the debate over holiness and authority

The five daughters and the twelve tribes : the debate over inclusion

David and Nathan : the debate over accountability and morality

Ben Zakkai and the Zealots : the debate over resistance

Hillel and Shammai : the debate over Jewish law

The Vilna Gaon and the Baal Shem Tov : the debate over spirituality

Spinoza and the Amsterdam rabbis : the debate over boundaries

Geiger and Hirsch and Frankel : the debate over religious evolution

Herzl and Wise : the debate over Zionism.

Notes:

"Published by the University of Nebraska Press as a Jewish Publication Society book."

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9786613666642

9780827611856

0827611854

9781280689703

1280689706

9780827609327

0827609329

OCLC:

794664039