THEMES AND ISSUES IN JUDAISM pdf download

Themes And Issues In Judaism

THEMES AND ISSUES IN JUDAISM

Judaism, like all of the world religions, is a diverse tapestry.

It is composed of many different strands emerging from different cultural, theological and geographic points of origin.

Although Judaism as a religion and the Jews as a people emerged from a single location in the ancient Near East, diaspora and history have enabled the community to flower in many ways in many places and times.

This book includes chapters which explore some of this cultural and theological diversity.

 It is written from the perspectives of insiders and thus allows us to explore Judaism as it is experienced and understood by individuals from different segments of the community.

Because of the choice of authors, the focus of this book is on the Jewish community and traditions which emerged from Eastern Europe and which developed in Western Europe and the United States.

 Yet even within this specific geographic point of origin there is significant diversity, especially on the level of practice and theology. This aspect of diversity is one of the features of the chapters presented here.

 The authors, based on their own experiences and values, emphasize their own religious perspectives within the wider spectrum of Jewish tradition