The Peace and Violence of Judaism: From the Bible to Modern Zionism
"This is a work of breathtaking scope and innovative methodology. Deploying a wide range of texts, it demonstrates the ambivalence towards the resort to violence that has always characterized Jewish teachings. The result is an informed and sensitive discourse on the moral condition of the Jewish people, present as well as past, which is sure to become an essential point of departure for all future studies in the field."--Stuart Cohen, Professor of Political Studies, Bar-Ilan University, and author ofIsrael and Its Army"Professor Robert Eisen's masterful volume is the best in-depth study to date of peace and violence in Judaism, ancient, medieval and contemporary. He is unflinching in confronting the essential moral questions of Jewish self-definition, including Israel's conflict with the Palestinian people. This is a balanced account of Jewish sources that should be read by everyone, layman and scholar, Christian and Muslim. It is a profound paradigm of reflection and self-reflection."--Marc Gopin, James H. Laue Professor and Director of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University"Robert Eisen has written a remarkable book on a subject of compelling historical and contemporary importance. He has set a high standard for what hopefully will be comparable works that others will write on Christianity and Islam."--Rev. Dr. David Smock, Director, Religion and Peacemaking Program, United States Institute of Peace"Eisen carefully examines both sides of the coin and grapples with the potential good or harm that emerges throught particular interpretations of Jewish tradition."--Lynn Gottlieb"Eisen's overview provided a welcome corrective to the reductionist indictments of Richard Harris, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and others who fabricate a categorical boogeyman known as 'religion' and argue that it is essentially, and therefore irreparably, bellicose."--ChristopherLeighton, Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies"A tour de force of even-handedness."--The Canadian Jewish News"Eisen has done a remarkable job of collating and critiquing the myriad claims about Jewish sources and their relationship to peace and violence. All future thinking on the subject will need to begin with this book."--Shofar"An extraordinary contribution to long-term hopes for peace...careful attention to [Eisen's] work can only increase peace in the world. That is a true scholarly contribution."--Jewish Ideas Daily