Recovering Judaism
Subtitle: The Universal Dimension of Jewish Religion
Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
Published: February 2001
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 201
ISBN-13: 9780800632687
Subjects: Judaism; Religion; Religion - Judaism; Judaism - Theology; Judaism - General; Essence, genius, nature; History and criticism; Rabbinical literature
First sentence: The Torah-that is to say, the religion the world calls Judaism-embodies the universal within the particular and so delivers a message of salvation to all humanity.
Description: The renewed perception of Judaism's influence Judaism today is too often thought to represent a religious backwater, a highly particularistic, religion with its own esoteric tales and traditions, practices and norms. First Christians, then Jews themselves, have succumbed to this characterization, resulting in dismissal of Judaism's universal religious significance. Bereft of its religious import, Judaism is increasingly thought merely an ethnic designation-and a quickly dissipating one at that. Neusner pleas for vindication of "the universal character and appeal of Judaic monotheism in the mainstream of humanity." Of the three great monotheistic religions, only Judaism has survived without political power, military might, or great numbers of adherents and has done so because its method and message aim to persuade the world of God's dominion and the marks of God's rule.