Jewish Theology and World Religions

by Alon Goshen-Gottstein (Editor), Eugene Korn (Editor)

Overview

National Jewish Book Awards Finalist for the Anthologies and Collections Award, 2012.

Two of the most pervasive aspects of modern Jewish life are interaction with people of other faiths and exposure to their beliefs to a degree unknown in the past. Jewish thinking regarding other religions has not succeeded in keeping pace with the contemporary realities that regularly confront most Jews, nor has it adequately assimilated the ways in which other religions have changed their teachings about Jews and Judaism. Many Jews who grapple with Jewish tradition in the contemporary world want to know how Judaism sees today's non-Jewish other in order to affirm itself. By re-examining the Jewish tradition, they seek guidance in understanding their interfaith relationships in the light of a Jewish religious mission. Jewish Theology and World Religions advances this conversation, exploring the critical issues that Jews - and Jewish thought - face when relating to Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The book also analyzes the philosophical issues raised by pluralism, nonexclusive approaches to religious truth, and appreciating the religious other. The contributions to this volume represent a range of disciplines and denominations within Judaism and share the conviction that articulating contemporary Jewish views of other world religions is an urgent objective for Judaism. These essays show why formulating a Jewish theology of world religions is a priority for Jewish thinkers and educators concerned with reinvigorating Judaism's contribution to the contemporary world, and how it coheres with maintaining Jewish identity and continuity. In January 2013, this book was a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award in the category of Anthologies and Collections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781906764920
Publisher:	The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization in association with Liverpool University Press
Publication date:	07/14/2016
Series:	Littman Library of Jewish Civilization
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	360
Sales rank:	426,910
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 6.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Eugene Korn is academic director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation in Efrat, where he is co-director of the Institute for Theological Inquiry. He is editor of 'Meorot: A Forum for Modern Orthodox Discourse.'

Table of Contents

Note on Transliteration xv

Towards a Jewish Theology of World Religions: Framing the Issues Alon Goshen-Gottstein 1

Part I Philosophical Perspectives on Jewish Pluralism

1 Jewish Views of World Religions: Four Models Alan Brill Rori Picker Neiss 41

2 Justifying Interreligious Pluralism Avi Sagi 61

3 Pluralism out of the Sources of Judaism: The Quest for Religions Pluralism without Relativism Raphael Jospe 87

4 Respectful Disagreement: A Response to Raphael Jospe Jolene S. Kellner Menachem Kellner 123

Part II Judaism and the Other

5 Can Another Religion Be Seen as the Other? Stanislaw Krajewski 137

6 The Violence of the Neutral in Interfaith Relations Meir Sendor 149

7 Jewish Liturgical Memory and the Non-Jew: Past Realities and Future Possibilities Ruth Lancer 167

Part III Judaism and World Religions

8 Rethinking Christianity: Rabbinic Positions and Possibilities Eugene Korn 189

9 Maimonides' Treatment of Christianity and its Normative Implications David Novak 217

10 The Banished Brother: Islam in Jewish Thought and Faith Paul B. Fenton 235

11 Encountering Hinduism: Thinking Through Avodah Zarah Alon Goshen-Gottstein 263

12 Judaism and Buddhism: A Jewish Approach to a Godless Religion Jerome (Yehuda) Gellman 299

Concluding Reflections Alon Goshen-Gottstein 317

Notes on the Contributors 329

Index 331

Editorial Reviews

"This volume recognizes ambiguity in the very nature of religion and that Jews' recognition of the undeniable mystical experience of others lays a foundation for further studies by the contributors. This is an indispensable title for graduate and undergraduate programs emphasizing world religions and interfaith, interreligious dialogue. Highly recommended." — Choice, March 2013

"Superb....breaks new ground in our understanding of other faiths from a Jewish perspective. For this contribution, theologians, halakhists, religious communal leadership, and lay readers should offer prayers of thanksgiving." — Jerome A. Chanes, Jewish Ideas Daily

" . . . a thorough and much needed work of Orthodox interfaith theology that addresses twenty-first century Jews . . . . the contributors engage Hinduism and Buddhism on their own terms, rather than seeking to apply paradigms to them from Jewish approaches to Christianity and Islam. Of considerable consequence for Orthodox Judaism are lesser known legal and theological precedents unearthed by the contributors that offer models of tolerant, pluralistic theologies, such as that of the medieval sage Menahem Me'iri." — Daniel Ross Goodman, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 39, No. 3, September 2013

From the Publisher