Doing Jewish Theology

With clarity and passion, noted theologian Neil Gillman explores the importance of community, symbol and myth in evolution of Jewish thought and reveals extraordinary insights into the purpose of religion, our relationship with God and Jewish identity.

A powerful and challenging examination of what Jews believe today¿ by a new generation¿s dynamic and innovative thinkers. New in Paperback! At every critical juncture in Jewish history, Jews have understood a dynamic theology to be essential for a vital Jewish community. This important collection sets the next stage of Jewish theological thought, bringing together a cross section of interesting new voices from all movements in Judaism to inspire and stimulate discussion now and in the years to come. Provocative and wide-ranging, these invigorating and creative insights from a new generation¿s thought leaders provide a coherent and inspiring picture of Jewish belief in our time. The passionate voices of a new generation of Jewish thinkers continue the dialogue with God, examining the dynamics of what Jews can believe today. They explore: ¿ A dynamic God in process ¿ The canon of Jewish literature and its potential to be both contemporary and authentic to tradition ¿ Critical terms and categories for discussing Jewish theology ¿ The ongoing nature of the Jewish search for God ¿ Ruptures within the modern Jewish condition ¿ And much more

A powerful and challenging examination of what Jews believe today--by a new generation's dynamic and innovative thinkers. At every critical juncture in Jewish history, Jews have understood a dynamic theology to be essential for a vital Jewish community. This important collection sets the next stage of Jewish theological thought, bringing together a cross section of interesting new voices from all movements in Judaism to inspire and stimulate discussion now and in the years to come. Provocative and wide-ranging, these invigorating and creative insights from a new generation's thought leaders provide a coherent and inspiring picture of Jewish belief in our time. Contributors: Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, DHL * Rabbi Rachel Sabath * Beit-Halachmi, PhD * Rabbi Daniel M. Bronstein, PhD * Simon Cooper, PhD * Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, PhD * Rabbi Jonathan Crane, PhD * Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum * Eitan Fishbane, PhD * Rabbi Jeremy Gordon * Rabbi Shai Held * Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels * Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky * Rabbi Naamah Kelman * Rabbi Asher Lopatin * Rabbi Michael Marmur, PhD * Rabbi Evan Moffic * Rabbi Leon A. Morris * Rabbi Daniel Nevins * Rabbi William Plevan * Rabbi Or N. Rose * Benjamin Sax, PhD * Marc B. Shapiro, PhD * Benjamin D. Sommer, PhD * Rabbi Eliyahu Stern

Jesus the Jewish Theologian establishes Jesus firmly within the context of first-century Judaism and shows how understanding Jesus' Jewishness is crucial for interpreting the New Testament and for understanding the nature of Christian faith. Insights from Jewish literature, archeology, and tradition help modern readers place Jesus within his original context. Particular attention is given to the Jewish roots of Jesus' teaching concerning the kingdom of God.

Explores the religious experience of Judaism through the perceptions and teachings of ordinary Jews and the creative elite.

Contemporary theology, and Jewish theology in particular, Michael Fishbane asserts, now lies fallow, beset by strong critiques from within and without. For Jewish reality, a coherent and wide-ranging response in thoroughly modern terms is needed. Sacred Attunement is Fishbane's attempt to renew Jewish theology for our time, in the larger context...

After establishing a vision of and a methodology for doing Jewish theology, that vision and methodology are applied to a number of issues of major theological concern. These include: love and law, awe of God, the problem of evil, Holocaust theology, theologies of the human body, theological ethics, and eschatology. Utilizing a remarkable range of classical sources from Hebrew Scriptures to Hasidim, Talmud to Jewish philosophy, medieval Jewish mysticism to contemporary political theology, this volume demonstrates how theology is an artform informed by erudite scholarship and honed by analytic skill.

This collection constitutes the first extended discussion of the relationship between Judaism and process thought. In the last half century the philosophies of Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne have become important sources for contemporary theological reflection. Recently, a number of Jewish thinkers have examined process thought as a potentially valuable resource for postmodern Jewish theology. This book brings together many Jewish thinkers who have pioneered this discussion. Jewish thinkers who have found process thought to be a useful framework for contemporary Jewish thought discuss issues that are primarily theological, such as God's transcendence and immanence, the problem of evil, the idea of revelation. Also included is a dialogue between Jewish and Christian thinkers on the appropriateness of process thought for their religious traditions. Critical reflection on the continuities and discontinuities between Judaism and the process model is also covered.