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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisIn The European Encounter with Hinduism Jan Peter Schouten offers an account of European travellers coming into contact with the Hindu religion in India. From the thirteenth century on, both traders and missionaries visited India and encountered the exotic world of Hindus and Hinduism. Their travel reports reveal how Europeans gradually increased their knowledge of Hinduism and how they evaluated this foreign religion. Later on, although officials of the colonial administration also studied the languages and culture of India, it was – contrary to what is usually assumed – particularly the many missionaries who made the greatest contribution to the mapping of Hinduism.Trade ReviewThe European Encounter with Hinduism in India is a masterful reflection on Western visitors to India from Marco Polo on, and then too on the colonial era missionary encounters with Hindu texts, practices, and believers. Sensitive to political as well as religious issues, Schouten introduces a wide range of materials very ably, and at every point offers insights into the views and strategies of missionary scholars and educated colonial officials. Readers are prompted to take a new and long view on how the West discovered India, and inevitably to reassess our current political, cultural and religious reactions to the great traditions of Hindu India. - Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Professor of Comparative Theology, Harvard University. In the history of European contact with India, Roberto de Nobili takes pride of place. This Jesuit was a towering figure; he learned Sanskrit, studied the Veda’s, and wore Brahmin dress (described in rich detail in this book). By doing so, he tried to reach the highest caste in India and started telling the story of the ‘fifth Veda’, the gospel. He created a dilemma for the Christian churches by accepting the caste system (that still exists until today, even though it is perhaps less influential than several centuries ago). The Christian churches in India struggled to integrate Indian culture into their Christian liturgy. They rightly argued that in the guise of Christian mission, colonialism dictated Western habits and should therefore not be seen as universally binding. The Protestant missionaries in India, were convinced of the idolatrous nature of Hinduism. But even they were forced to acknowledge Indian culture as a valid incentive for the Churches in India. As an expert in Hinduism and Christian theology, Jan Peter Schouten is the perfect author to write about the confrontation between Europe and India. - Marcel Poorthuis, Professor of Interreligious Dialogue, Tilburg University.Table of Contents Acknowledgements IX  List of Illustrations XI  Introduction  1A Functioning Temple  2A Long History of Encounter  3The Prehistory of Dialogue  4Terminological Relativisation  1The First Visitors: Marco Polo and the Franciscan Friars  1Beyond Byzantium  2The Mongol Advance  3Marco Polo  4People with Dog’s Heads  5A Strange Culture  6A Separate Caste  7The Friars Speak  8Odoric  9Another Civilisation in View  2Knowledge is Power: Nicolò de’ Conti and Jan Huygen van Linschoten  1Traders Make their Way to India  2A Penitent Apostate  3A Corporate Spy in Action  4A Humanistic Work  5Feasts  6Shocking Religious Phenomena  7A Dutchman in a Portuguese City  8Caste Hierarchy  9Religious Customs and Religious Faith  10Monotheism  11An Unknown World  3A Foreign Culture Baptised: The Jesuits Roberto de Nobili and Thomas Stephens  1Travels to Asia  2Jesuits in Mission  3A Promising Young Man  4In the Capital  5A Christian Sannyāsī  6De Nobili’s Appeal for Brahmins  7Opposition from the Church  8Local Customs  9Conversion and Accomodatio  10Affinity with Hinduism?  11Caste as a Stumbling Block  12De Nobili as an Example?  13Thomas Stephens in Goa  14The Purāṇa  4Dutch Ministers in the VOC: Rogerius and Baldaeus  1The Oldest Manual  2Pastor and Missionary  3Rogerius’ Career in the East  4Study on Hinduism  5Sources  6An Honest Report  7The Structure of the Book  8An Appealing Book  9Baldaeus and Mythology  10Sources  11Refutation  12Other Ministers  5A Pietistic Preacher in Danish Territory: Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg  1A Danish Undertaking  2Pietistic Germans  3Preaching in Tamil  4Sources of Language and Religion  5The “Malabar Correspondence”  6On the Path to Salvation?  7Systematic Work  6A Disappointed Missionary: Abbé Dubois  1Reading for the Curious  2A Costly Manuscript  3Missionaries in Turbulent Times  4A Hindu among the Hindus  5Mission Impossible?  6A Manual  7Inclusion of the Lower Castes  8Contamination  9Reincarnation  7British Government Officials: John Muir and Nascent Indology  1The East Indian Company  2An Influential Translation  3A Learned Society  4The Serampore Trio  5‘Little Britain’ in a Foreign Society  6The Christian Faith Disseminated  7Writing in Sanskrit  8Divine Properties  9Hindus Respond to the Challenge  10Other Research into Hinduism  8The Image of the East in the West: Nineteenth- century British India in Fiction and Travel Reports  1Romantic Orientalism  2The First Detective Novel  3Emily Eden: A Lady Travelling in a Strange Land  4Mary Carpenter: A Visitor in Search of Renewal  5D.C. Steyn Parvé: Fear of Rebellion in the Colonies  6Willam Urwick: A Reflective Tour  7A Princely Picture of India: Prince Bojidar  9Missionaries from Switzerland: The Basel Mission in South India  1A Minister Honoured  2On the Road in a Mission Field  3A New Beginning  4Church in India—An Indian Church?  5Mapping a Language  6Examining the Liṅgāyats  7In Search of a Point of Contact  8An Exceptional French Swiss  9Back in Europe  10To America  11The Brahmanical Culture  12Pantheism and the Vedas  10Reflections  1A Fascinating Country  2Wondrous Phenomena  3A Major Stumbling Block  4Minor Stumbling Blocks  5Languages  6A Broad Interest  7Another Religious Structure and Culture  8Idols and Monotheism  9Plurality and Colourfulness  10Nascent Dialogue  Bibliography  Glossary  Index of Names

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Book SynopsisIn A Christian-Muslim Comparative Theology of Saints: The Community of God’s Friends, Hans A. Harmakaputra focuses on a question that emerges from today’s multi-faith context: “Is it possible for Christians to recognize non-Christians as saints?” To answer affirmatively, he offers a Christian perspective on an inclusive theology of saints through the lens of comparative theology that is based on the thought of Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim theologians: Karl Rahner, Jean-Luc Marion, Elizabeth Johnson, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Paul Tillich, and Ibn Arabī’. As a result of this interreligious comparison, three theological constructs emerge: (1) saints as manifestations and revealers of God’s self-communication, (2) the hiddenness of saints, and (3) saints as companions. These theological constructs redefine and reconfigure Christian understanding of saints on one hand, and on the other hand provide theological reasoning to include non-Christians in the Christian notion of the communion of saints.Trade Review“The Community of God’s Friends is an intriguing book not least because of its stated goals, chief among which is an attempt to “enrich” Christian understanding regarding the “communion of saints” by exploring ideas from “across” the religious and denominational divide, but also for its organic style of unpacking the issues involved. Harmakaputra is firmly grounded in the Protestant tradition and here he masterfully facilitates a conversation between perspectives from his own tradition and those from the Roman Catholic and Muslim traditions. By applying the comparative theology lens, the author is able to expand the scope of discourse to include interdisciplinary considerations. In other words, it will be useful for the specialist in religious studies and yet it also off ers ideas for engaging in interfaith dialogue for the general reader.” – Irfan A. Omar, Associate Professor Theology, Marquette University "Dr. Harmakaputra’s work of comparative theology offers an inclusive theology of saints grounded in the thought of Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim theologians. His scholarship is truly impressive, displaying a great familiarity with and a masterful grasp of Catholic and Protestant theology of sainthood and Islamic theology of prophethood, especially in the Sunni and Sufi traditions. I strongly recommend this book for courses on interreligious dialogue and to those interested in a comparative understanding of Christian and Muslim concepts of sainthood and prophethood." – Peter C. Phan, The Igancio Ellacuria, S.J. Chair of Catholic Social Thought, Georgetown University "The inclusive theology of saints developed by Hans Harmakaputra with the help of Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim sources is comparative theology at its best: it offers an impressive solution for an important problem of contemporary systematic theology with considerable practical effects, it offers a convincing and understandable way of reception of non-Christian sources, and it develops a thought-provoking, stimulating systematic idea in a wide ecumenical horizon.“ – Klaus Von Stosch, Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Bonn.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction  1 Why Saints?  2 Reconfiguring Saints and Sainthood: The Quest for an Inclusive Christian Theology of the Saints  3 Disciplinary Framework: Comparative Systematic Theology  4 Limits of the Study  5 Structure 1 Contemporary Catholic Discourse on Theology of Saints  1 Canonization, Intercessory Roles, and Moral Exemplars:Three Features of the Saints in Catholic Teaching  2 Saints as Tangible Manifestations of God’s Grace in History:Karl Rahner’s Theology of Saints  3 Remembering the Saints as Friends of God and Prophets:Elizabeth Johnson’s Feminist Perspective on the Saints  4 The Invisibility of the Saint According to Jean-Luc Marion 2 Contemporary Protestant Discourse on Theology of Saints  1 Protestant Reformers’ Criticism of the Veneration of Saints  2 Contemporary Protestant Churches’ Approach to Saints  3 Contemporary Theological Approaches to a Theology of Saints   3.1 A Worldly Saint: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and His Thoughts on Sainthood   3.2 Saints as Embodiments of Ultimate Reality: Paul Tillich and His Notion of Saintliness and Sanctification 3 Friends of God and Sainthood in Islam: An Introduction  1 Clarification of the Key Terms Related to Sainthood  2 Signs of Awliya Allah: A Phenomenological Approach to Muslim Saints   2.1 Reductionist and Relativistic Approaches to Sainthood   2.2 Approaching Sainthood as a Tradition in Islam   2.3 Miraculous Deeds as the Signs of a Wali: The Case of Abdurrahman Wahid  3 Friends of God in the Qur’an and Hadith: A Textual Approach  4 Formulation of Sainthood in the Early Period of Sufism:A Theological Approach   4.1 Al-Junayd: Saints as Models for Believers   4.2 Hakim al-Tirmidhi: Sainthood and the Seal of the Saints 4 Friends of God and Sainthood According to IBN ‘Arabi  1 Clarification of Ibn ?Arabi’s Key Concepts   1.1 Oneness of Being   1.2 The Human and the Perfect Human   1.3 The “God Created in Beliefs”  2 The Realm of the Walaya   2.1 The Relationship of Sainthood to Prophethood and Messengerhood   2.2 The Universality of Walaya  3 The Saints as the Heirs of the Prophets  4 The “Hiddenness” of Saints 5 Saints as Manifestations and Revealers of God’s Self-Communication  1 The Universality of God’s Self-Communication   1.1 Grace as the Self-Communication of God   1.2 Anonymous Christians   1.3 From Anonymous Christians to Saints  2 The Particularity of God’s Self-Communication   2.1 The Role of Jesus Christ in God’s Universal Self-Communication   2.2 Hidden Saints as Many Mediations  3 Towards the Recognition of Hidden Saints   3.1 Hidden Saints as the Mystics of Everyday Life   3.2 Universal Paths for Realizing God’s Grace   3.3 Saints as Revealers of New Modes of God’s Grace 6 The Hiddenness of Saints  1 Banality and Holiness: Sanctity as Liminal Space   1.1 “He Who Eats Food and Walks in the Markets”: Saints in the World   1.2 Worldly Saints: Sanctification as the Journey in the Liminal Space  2 “Only a Saint Can Recognize Another Saint”: A Phenomenology of Sainthood   2.1 “The One Who Blames Oneself”: The Malamiyya According to Ibn ?Arabi   2.2 Hiddenness as a Mark of Sainthood  3 “He Who Sees You Sees Me”: The Transparency and Mediating Role of a Saint   3.1 Friends of God as Mediations between God and Human Beings   3.2 Saints as Icons of the Invisible God 7 Saints as Companions  1 Reinvigorating the Communion of Saints: The Significance of the Companionship Paradigm   1.1 The Paradigm of Companionship and Its Significance   1.2 The Seal of the Muhammadan Saints and the Problem of Hierarchy  2 Expanding the Boundaries of the Communion of Saints   2.1 Friends of God and Cloud of Witnesses as Primary Metaphors of the Companionship Paradigm   2.2 Reconfiguring the Concept of Intermediation of the Saints  3 Following in the Footsteps of the Friends of God   3.1 The Intersections of Memory, Hope, and Praxis   3.2 Multiple Paths of Holiness   3.3 Encountering the Hidden Christ through Praxis 8 Approaching Saints: An Inclusive Christian Theology of Saints in Practice  1 An Inclusive Christian Theology of Saints: Three Theological Constructs  2 The Vox Populi Approach to Sainthood: Weaving Remembrance and Imitation   2.1 The Vox Populi and the Catholic Canonization of Saints   2.2 Protestantism and the Vox Populi Approach to the Communion of Saints  3 Recognizing Saints Interreligiously: Two Case Studies   3.1 Frans van der Lugt, SJ   3.2 Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur)   3.3 Encountering the Hidden Christ through Praxis  4 Redefining Sainthood: Saints as “Sign-Events”  5 Remembering Gives Rise to Practice Conclusion  1 Three Theological Constructs  2 Types of Learning in Comparative Theology  3 Further Directions Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisChristian-Muslim Relations, a Bibliographical History 21 (CMR 21), covering South-western Europe in the period 1800-1914, is a further volume in a general history of relations between the two faiths from the 7th century to the early 20th century. It comprises a series of introductory essays and the main body of detailed entries. These treat all the works, surviving or lost, that have been recorded. They provide biographical details of the authors, descriptions and assessments of the works themselves, and complete accounts of manuscripts, editions, translations and studies. The result of collaboration between numerous new and established scholars, CMR 21, along with the other volumes in this series, is intended as a fundamental tool for research in Christian-Muslim relations. Section Editors: Ines Aščerić-Todd, Clinton Bennett, Luis F. Bernabé Pons, Jaco Beyers, Emanuele Colombo, Lejla Demiri, Martha T. Frederiks, David D. Grafton, Stanisław Grodź, Alan M. Guenther, Vincenzo Lavenia, Arely Medina, Diego Melo Carrasco, Alain Messaoudi, Gordon Nickel, Claire Norton, Reza Pourjavady, Douglas Pratt, Charles Ramsey, Peter Riddell, Umar Ryad, Cornelia Soldat, Charles Tieszen, Carsten Walbiner, Catherina Wenzel.Table of ContentsContents Foreword  ix Abbreviations  xvi Essays Alain Messaoudi, Introduction: Perceptions of Islam in France during the 19th century  3 Luis F. Bernabé Pons, Introduction: Iberia 1800-1914  17 Emanuele Colombo and Vincenzo Lavenia, Introduction: Italy before and after Unification: Islam, Orientalism, Colonialism  24 Radha Dalal, Nineteenth-century French photography and European impressions of Ottoman lands  55 Alejandro García-Sanjuán, Memories of al-Andalus in 19th-century Spain  70 Clinton Bennett, Orientalism and the Orient as other  80 France Constantin-François Volney Sarga Moussa 97 Jean Potocki Émilie Klene 109 Denon Patrice Bret 123 Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy John Chesworth 132 Comte de Forbin Rose-Marie Le Rouzic 139 Ignatius Mouradgea d’Ohsson Yaser Gün 149 François Rene de Chateaubriand Pierre Glaudes 162 Astolphe de Custine Alain Guyot 185 Eusèbe de Salle Alain Messaoudi 194 Edgar Quinet Florence Fix 201 Joseph Marin Adolphe Noël des Vergers Annliese Nef 207 Caussin de Perceval Renaud Soler 215 Albert de Biberstein Kazimirski Mouhamadoul-Khaly Wélé 220 Gérard de Nerval Guy Barthèlemy 229 Louis-Pierre-Eugène Amélie Sédillot Renaud Soler 242 Gustave Dugat Alain Messaoudi 249 Alexandre Dumas (père) Anne-Marie Callet-Bianco 256 Victor Hugo Franck Laurent 267 Jules Barthélemy Saint-Hilaire Florence Fix 300 Nicolas Perron Alain Messaoudi 310 Garcin de Tassy Marc Gaborieau 321 Gustave Flaubert Taro Nakijima 327 Pacifique-Henry Delaporte Renaud Soler 342 Ernest Renan Birgit Schäbler 347 Gustave Le bon Alain Messaoudi 362 Guy de Maupassant Francis Lacoste 371 Jane and Marcel Dieulafoy Eve Gran-Aymerich 385 Henry de Castries Daniel Rivet 400 Dictionaries and encyclopaedias produced by Christian institutions Claude Prudhomme 409 French missionary journals Claude Prudhomme 425 Catholic scholarly journals Claude Prudhomme 434 Edouard Montet Alain Messaoudi 442 Bernard Carra de Vaux Emmanuel Pisani 451 Iberia Frei João de Sousa Isabel Drumond Braga 467 Manuel de Santo Tomás de Aquino Luis F. Bernabé Pons 473 Ali Bey el Abbassi Jan Loop 478 Adolfo de Rivadeneyra José F. Cutillas 486 Italy and Malta Giovanni Mariti Felicita Tramontana 497 La riforma dell’Alcorano Gian Mario Cazzaniga 502 Baldassarre II Odescalchi David Armando 513 Giovanni Battista Casti David Armando 517 Giuseppe Vella Alessandro Vanoli 523 Giuseppe Calza Luca Berardi 529 Francesco Rovira Bonet Marina Caffiero 532 Paolino da S Bartolomeo Sabina Pavone 538 Felice Caronni Valerio Vittorini 546 Simone Assemani Arianna D’Ottone and Bruno Callegher 552 Filippo Pananti Valerio Vittorini 560 Michelangelo Lanci Elisabetta Benigni 564 Paolo Della Cella Elisabetta Serafini 570 Attilio Belzoni Valerio Vittorini 575 Jean-Emile Humbert Francesca Sofia 580 Salvatore Morso Alessandro Vanoli 585 Giovanni Battista Rampoldi Roberto Tottoli 588 Giovanni Battista Baldelli Boni Federico Stella 591 Amalia Nizzoli Elisabetta Serafini 596 Giovanni Antonio Vassallo William Zammit 603 Vincenzo Calza Federico Stella 608 Giacomo Bossi Edoardo Tortarolo 613 Michelangelo Celesia Federico Stella 616 Giuseppe Sapeto Francesco Surdich 622 Cristina di Belgiojoso Valerio Vittorini 629 Andrea Zambelli Roberto Tottoli 635 Felice de Angeli Bruno Pomara 640 Giuseppe Anaclerio Elisabetta Serafini 645 Michele Amari Alessandro Vanoli 650 Rocco da Cesinale Michele Camaioni 661 Domenico Cerri Giovanni Frulla 667 Pietro Valerga Elisabetta Benigni 673 Jacopo Bernardi Felicita Tramontana 679 Vincenzo d’Avino Federico Stella 684 Alberto Guglielmotti David Armando 691 Renzo Manzoni Giovanni Canova 695 Antonio Stoppani Nicola Verderame 703 Alessandro D’Ancona Valentina Sagaria Rossi 707 Bartolomeo Lagumina Federico Stella 715 Angelo De Gubernatis Francesca Bellino 721 Emilio Salgari Masturah Alatas 727 Lupo Buonazia Francesca Bellino 736 Carlo Alfonso Nallino Valentina Sagaria Rossi 740 Ugo Mioni Tommaso Caliò 751 Aldobrandino Malvezzi Vincenzo Lavenia 756 Enrico Cerulli Gianfrancesco Lusini 769 Leone Caetani Andrea Trentini 773 Contributors  783 Index of Names  000 Index of Titles  000

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Book SynopsisThe phenomenon of martyrdom is more than 2000 years old but, as contemporary events show, still very much alive. Martyrdom: Canonisation, Contestation and Afterlives examines the canonisation, contestation and afterlives of martyrdom and connects these with cross-cultural acts and practices of remembrance. Martyrdom appeals to the imagination of many because it is a highly ambiguous spectacle with thrilling deadly consequences. Imagination is thus a vital catalyst for martyrdom, for martyrs become martyrs only because others remember and honour them as such. This memorialisation occurs through rituals and documents that incorporate and re-interpret traditions deriving from canonical texts. The canonisation of martyrdom generally occurs in one of two ways: First, through ritual commemoration by communities of inside readers, listeners, viewers and participants, who create and recycle texts, re-interpreting them until the martyrs ultimately receive a canonical status, or second, through commemoration as a means of contestation by competing communities who perceive these same people as traitors or terrorists. By adopting an interdisciplinary orientation and a cross-cultural approach, this book goes beyond both the insider admiration of martyrs and the partisan rejection of martyrdoms and concisely synthesises key interpretive questions and themes that broach the canonised, unstable and contested representations of martyrdom as well as their analytical connections, divergences and afterlives in the present.Table of ContentsIntroduction Jan Willem van Henten and Ihab Saloul 1. Interaction of Canon and History: Some Assumptions Tobias Nicklas 2. The Changing Worlds of the Ten Rabbinic Martyrs Yair Furstenberg 3. 'Who Were the Maccabees?': The Maccabean Martyrs and Performances on Christian Difference Jennifer Knust 4. Perpetual Contest Mieke Bal 5. 'Martyrs of Love': Genesis, Development and Twentieth Century Political Applica-tion of a Sufi Concept Asghar Seyed-Gohrab 6. Commemorating World War 1 Soldiers as Martyrs Jan Willem van Henten 7. The Scarecrow Christ: The Murder of Matthew Shepard and the Making of an American Culture Wars Martyr Paul Middleton 8. Icons of Revolutionary Upheaval: Arab Spring Martyrs Friederike Pannewick 9. Yesterday's Heroes? Canonisation of Anti-Apartheid Heroes in South Africa Jeremy Punt 10. The Martyrdom of the Seven Sleepers in Transformation: From Syriac Christianity to the Qur'an and to the Dutch-Iranian Writer Kader Abdolah Marcel Poorthuis 11. 'Female Martyrdom Operations': Gender and Identity Politics in Palestine Ihab Saloul 12. Hollywood Action Hero Martyrs in 'Mad Max Fury Road' Laura Copier Index

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Book SynopsisIdolatry, or its Hebrew equivalent Avodah Zarah¸ is a fundamental feature of a Jewish view of other religions. All religions must pass the test of whether they are compliant with a Jewish view of religions as being free from the worship of another God. With the advance in interfaith relations, positions have been affirmed that clear most major contemporary religions from the charge of idolatry. What remains of “idolatry” once it no longer serves as a tool for evaluating other faiths? Does the category continue to have theological appeal? What are its internal uses? A cadre of Jewish scholars and thought leaders explore in this volume what the continuing relevance of “idolatry” is and how it might continue to inform our religious horizons, allowing us to distinguish between good and bad religion, both within Judaism and beyond.Trade Review“Idolatry is a profound, probing yet engaging exploration of human misdirection whose roots are as ancient as human yearning. This book springs from history and scholarship but it speaks to our society and to the individual heart.”— Rabbi David Wolpe, Max Webb Senior Rabbi, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles“This remarkably rich anthology—beyond disabusing anyone who might still be operating under the notion that the biblical injunction against idolatry can be limited to worship of ‘sticks and stones’—suggests many thought-provoking extensions of the traditional injunction against false gods both within Judaism and without. The efforts of an impressive array of contributors to pin-point in contemporary terms just what is problematic about this deviant form of worship not only revive the theological relevance of this ancient prohibition: the wide variety of perspectives that they introduce also bear important implications for current attempts at interfaith dialogue, subtly shifting the nature of the discourse from rarefied debates regarding the precise doctrinal imperatives of monotheism to broader moral interests and concerns, questions of pluralism and tolerance, social theory, education, and politics. In spelling out the multitude of theoretical and practical dimensions of this discussion, Idolatry: A Contemporary Jewish Conversation powerfully challenges Jews and non-Jews alike to revisit the notion of idolatry, and rediscover its importance as a critical category of thought.”— Tamar Ross, Professor Emerita, Department of Jewish Philosophy, Bar Ilan University"Alon Goshen-Gottstein has put together a sterling volume of outstanding contributors for new directions for the concept of ‘idolatry’ in Jewish thought. For Goshen-Gottstein the traditional interest in idolatry for rejecting other religions has largely been surpassed. So, this volume aims to retrieve ‘idolatry’ as a live concept for our age. This book is both an intellectual and spiritual diamond.” — Jerome Yehuda Gellman, Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, Ben-Gurion University“The discussion of idolatry is surely of tremendous importance. Nearly all religions and philosophies consider it awful. But what is idolatry and why is it ‘awful’? That debate is the core of this fascinating book. Is it wrong when we do not put God at the center of the universe and our lives? But what is really the problem? Does God really mind? Or is idolatry forbidden because it is the source for great evil and immorality? If so, what about idol worship or atheism that does not lead to evil and in fact encourages the good? Or is this a contradiction in terms? Rabbi Dr. Alon Goshen Gottstein has managed to pull together some of the greatest religious thinkers of our time to try to respond to these questions. Intriguing: I could not put this book down once I started.”— Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, Dean of the David Cardozo Academy JerusalemTable of ContentsPreface and AcknowledgementsAlon Goshen-GottsteinIntroduction: Idolatry—Revisiting a Fundamental Concept: Project DescriptionAlon Goshen-GottsteinUnderstanding Idolatry: An Invitation to a Contemporary ConversationAlon Goshen-GottsteinThe Theology and Politics of IdolatryReuven KimelmanMonotheism and Idolatry: Theological Challenges and Considerations Michael FishbaneIdolatry on the Other Side of ModernityShaul MagidJewish Feminist Liberation Theology and the Modern Criticism of IdolsMelissa RaphaelIdolatry as DehumanizationRivon KrygierContemporary Idolatry and a Path to FreedomEilon ShamirThe Idolatry of HumankindJonathan Wittenberg“We Live as Did the Ancients:” Reflections on the Ambiguous Role of Idolatry in Contemporary Jewish ThoughtArnold EisenIdolatryHaviva PedayaOn PetrificationMichael MarmurThe Idolatry of the Written WordPaul Mendes-FlohrThe Concept of Idolatry in Current TimesHanoch Ben-PaziThe Line between True Religion and IdolatryWarren Zev HarveyThinking Idolatry with/against Maimonides: The Case of ChristianityMenachem KellnerReturn of the Gods: A Jeux d’Esprit on Idolatry in JudaismNorman SolomonThe Value of IdolatryMenachem FischConcluding Observations: The Discourse on IdolatryAlon Goshen-GottsteinIndex

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Book SynopsisIdolatry, or its Hebrew equivalent Avodah Zarah¸ is a fundamental feature of a Jewish view of other religions. All religions must pass the test of whether they are compliant with a Jewish view of religions as being free from the worship of another God. With the advance in interfaith relations, positions have been affirmed that clear most major contemporary religions from the charge of idolatry. What remains of “idolatry” once it no longer serves as a tool for evaluating other faiths? Does the category continue to have theological appeal? What are its internal uses? A cadre of Jewish scholars and thought leaders explore in this volume what the continuing relevance of “idolatry” is and how it might continue to inform our religious horizons, allowing us to distinguish between good and bad religion, both within Judaism and beyond.Trade Review“Idolatry is a profound, probing yet engaging exploration of human misdirection whose roots are as ancient as human yearning. This book springs from history and scholarship but it speaks to our society and to the individual heart.”— Rabbi David Wolpe, Max Webb Senior Rabbi, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles“This remarkably rich anthology—beyond disabusing anyone who might still be operating under the notion that the biblical injunction against idolatry can be limited to worship of ‘sticks and stones’—suggests many thought-provoking extensions of the traditional injunction against false gods both within Judaism and without. The efforts of an impressive array of contributors to pin-point in contemporary terms just what is problematic about this deviant form of worship not only revive the theological relevance of this ancient prohibition: the wide variety of perspectives that they introduce also bear important implications for current attempts at interfaith dialogue, subtly shifting the nature of the discourse from rarefied debates regarding the precise doctrinal imperatives of monotheism to broader moral interests and concerns, questions of pluralism and tolerance, social theory, education, and politics. In spelling out the multitude of theoretical and practical dimensions of this discussion, Idolatry: A Contemporary Jewish Conversation powerfully challenges Jews and non-Jews alike to revisit the notion of idolatry, and rediscover its importance as a critical category of thought.”— Tamar Ross, Professor Emerita, Department of Jewish Philosophy, Bar Ilan University"Alon Goshen-Gottstein has put together a sterling volume of outstanding contributors for new directions for the concept of ‘idolatry’ in Jewish thought. For Goshen-Gottstein the traditional interest in idolatry for rejecting other religions has largely been surpassed. So, this volume aims to retrieve ‘idolatry’ as a live concept for our age. This book is both an intellectual and spiritual diamond.” — Jerome Yehuda Gellman, Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, Ben-Gurion University“The discussion of idolatry is surely of tremendous importance. Nearly all religions and philosophies consider it awful. But what is idolatry and why is it ‘awful’? That debate is the core of this fascinating book. Is it wrong when we do not put God at the center of the universe and our lives? But what is really the problem? Does God really mind? Or is idolatry forbidden because it is the source for great evil and immorality? If so, what about idol worship or atheism that does not lead to evil and in fact encourages the good? Or is this a contradiction in terms? Rabbi Dr. Alon Goshen Gottstein has managed to pull together some of the greatest religious thinkers of our time to try to respond to these questions. Intriguing: I could not put this book down once I started.”— Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, Dean of the David Cardozo Academy JerusalemTable of ContentsPreface and AcknowledgementsAlon Goshen-GottsteinIntroduction: Idolatry—Revisiting a Fundamental Concept: Project Description Alon Goshen-GottsteinUnderstanding Idolatry: An Invitation to a Contemporary Conversation Alon Goshen-GottsteinThe Theology and Politics of Idolatry Reuven KimelmanMonotheism and Idolatry: Theological Challenges and Considerations Michael FishbaneIdolatry on the Other Side of Modernity Shaul MagidJewish Feminist Liberation Theology and the Modern Criticism of Idols Melissa RaphaelIdolatry as Dehumanization Rivon KrygierContemporary Idolatry and a Path to Freedom Eilon ShamirThe Idolatry of Humankind Jonathan Wittenberg“We Live as Did the Ancients:” Reflections on the Ambiguous Role of Idolatry in Contemporary Jewish Thought Arnold EisenIdolatry Haviva PedayaOn Petrification Michael MarmurThe Idolatry of the Written Word Paul Mendes-FlohrThe Concept of Idolatry in Current Times Hanoch Ben-PaziThe Line between True Religion and Idolatry Warren Zev HarveyThinking Idolatry with/against Maimonides: The Case of Christianity Menachem KellnerReturn of the Gods: A Jeux d’Esprit on Idolatry in Judaism Norman SolomonThe Value of Idolatry Menachem FischConcluding Observations: The Discourse on Idolatry Alon Goshen-GottsteinIndex

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Book SynopsisIsrael and the Nations: The Bible, The Rabbis, and Jewish-Gentile Relations explores the Jewish theology and law (Halakhah) relating to non-Jews. It analyzes biblical, talmudic, medieval, and contemporary Jewish writings about gentiles and their religions. The Bible challenges the Jewish people to be “a blessing for all the families of the earth.” Yet throughout history, Jewish experience with gentiles was complex. In the biblical and talmudic eras most gentiles were assumed to be idolators. In the Middle Ages most rabbis considered their Christian neighbors idolators, and Christian enmity sharpened the otherness Jews felt toward their Christian hosts. Muslims were monotheists, but Jewish-Muslim relations were sometimes positive and at other times difficult. With the advent secular tolerance in modernity, Jews found themselves in a new relationship with their gentile neighbors. How should Jews relate to gentiles today, and what are the bounds of Jewish tolerance and religious pluralism? The book will interest both Jewish laypersons familiar with Jewish tradition as well as scholars of theology and interfaith relationsTrade Review"This is an informative volume that traces the evolution of Jewish-Gentile relations and posits a path forward. It would be a valuable resource for those interested in interfaith dialogue."— C. and Anne-Marie Belinfante, AJL News & Reviews“Today, Korn insists, Jews must lock arms with Christians to fight common enemies—relativism and secularism on the left, and radical Islamist violence on the right. Against the recent devaluation of human nature, Jews and Christians must teach the sanctity of human life... At a time when antisemitism is on the rebound and Jews like Rabbi Korn are fighting to defend Christians, it is high time we listened to voices like his. His new book is a great place to start.”— Gerald McDermott, Juicy Ecumenism: The Institute on Religion & Democracy's BlogTable of ContentsIntroduction: Reassessing Jewish-Gentile Relations TodayPart One: Judaism, Jews, and Gentiles The Covenant and Its Theology Israel as Blessing: Theological Horizons Extra Synagogam Nulla Salus? Judaism and the Religious Other Revelation, Gentiles, and the World to Come Idolatry Today Part Two: Judaism, Jews, and Christianity Rethinking Christianity: Rabbinic Positions and Possibilities Esau Hates Jacob The Man of Faith and Religious Dialogue The People Israel, Christianity, and the Covenantal Responsibility to History BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisJoseph Shatzmiller’s Collected Studies (Volume 3): Maimonidean Argument in France is a comprehensive compilation of his research on the intellectual and mental history of the Jews in Provence. The central focus of the book is the ongoing conflict between adherents of Maimonidean philosophy and its opponents, which persisted throughout the thirteenth century due to the movement of translations from Arabic to Hebrew. Additionally, the book delves into other important aspects of Provence Jewry, including their attitudes towards the Albigensian heresy and the intellectual contributions of figures such as Kalonymus ben Kalonymus, Jacob ben Eliyahu, and the renowned biblical commentator, astronomer, and philosopher Gersonides. Shatzmiller’s research illuminates the significance of Provence Jewry within the larger framework of Jewish communities in the Mediterranean and western Europe during the Middle Ages.“The collection of studies that these four volumes offer is the result of more than sixty years of commitment to scholarship. Like many colleagues, I relied in the beginning on printed material in books that dealt with law, religion, and secular literature. Then, as a disciple of George Duby, I discovered the world of archives and hand-written Latin manuscripts. The present collection relies, to a great extent, on previously unknown information discovered during years of search in the archives of Southern France, mostly on those of the county of Provence. They are situated in the cities of Marseille and Aix-en-Provence as well as the town of Digne. The legal registers of the High Middle Ages (1250-1350) as well as those produced by the counties’ administration introduce us to the ordinary people of the region, to their daily life and to their preoccupations; their names are spelled out, the dates are recorded and the localities in which they were active are designated. At times these documents encourage us to endorse information found in contemporary literary sources and to overcome our hesitation and excessive caution concerning their value as historical evidence.”— Joseph ShatzmillerTrade Review“Joseph Shatzmiller, the foremost expert on Provençal Judaism, has throughout the course of his career provided a rich and powerful mosaic of Jewish society in Provence. Known for his insightful analysis of historical documents and primary sources, Shatzmiller’s research consistently illuminates the significance of Provence Jewry within the larger framework of Jewish communities in the Mediterranean and western Europe during the Middle Ages. Drawing on a wealth of archival sources and intellectual history, his work is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Jewish communities in medieval Europe.”— Ram Ben-Shalom, Professor of the History of the Jewish People, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; author of The Jews of Provence and LanguedocTable of ContentsVol. Three: Maimonidean Argument in FranceI Intellectualism in Provence 1 Kalonymos ben Kalonymos: ‘A Scroll of Petty Apologetics’ (Hebrew) 2 Rationalisme et orthodoxie religieuse chez les juifs provençaux au commencement du XIVe Siècle* 3 Albigensian Heresy as Reflected in the Eyes of Contemporary Jewry II The Great Maimonidean Controversies1 Towards a Picture of the First Maimonidean Controversy 2 The letter from Rabbi Asher ben Gershom to the Rabbis of France at the Time of the Controversy about the Works of Maimonides3 Les Tossafistes et la première controverse maïmonidienne. Le témoignage du Rabbin Asher Ben GershomIII The Ban of Barcelona1 In Search of the “Book of Figures”: Medicine and Astrology in Montpellier at the Turn of the Fourteenth Century2 The Lion Figure for the Cure of Kidney and the Controversy over the Study of Philosophy at the Beginning of the Fourteenth Century 3 Between Abba Mari and Rashba: The Negotiations that Preceded the Ban of Barcelona (1303–1305)IV Gersonides1 Gersonides and the Jewish Community of Orange in His Time2 More about Gersonides and the Community of Orange in His Time3 Gersonide et la société juive de son temps4 Un autographe de Gersonide : Examen graphologique5 Compte-RenduV Outstanding Intellectuals1 Jacob Ben Elie, traducteur multilingue à Venise à la fin du XIIIe siècle2 Au service de la Cour de Naples : Kalonymos d’Arles et Judah Romano Appendix: Early Academic Experiments 1 Une expérience universitaire méconnue : le Studium de Manosque, 1247–12492 Une expérience universitaire renouvelée : le Studium de Manosque (1299–1300)

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