Description
Book SynopsisMelanie J. Wright was Academic Director of the Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations, and a Lecturer in Religious Studies at the Open University, UK. She is the author of numerous articles and books including
Understanding Judaism, and
Religion and Film: An Introduction. With Lucia Faltin she co-edited
The Religious Roots of Contemporary European Identity, which is also published by Continuum.
Trade ReviewMelanie Wright bequeaths the reader an insightful and valuable introduction to the study of Judaism.Her lifetime's devotion to Jewish studies, especially to Jewish culture, makes this book essential for anyone interested in the varieties of Judaism. -- Edward Kessler MBE, Founder and Director, Woolf Institute, UK
Melanie Wright has accomplished an almost impossible task, in compiling an account of Judaism that is comprehensive, readable, fresh and innovative. She writes as a sympathetic outsider, deeply sensitive to different (sometimes conflicting) currents, and to ever-changing concerns. Above all, her reflections on how Judaism - indeed, any religion - ought to be studied merit serious attention. -- Nicholas de Lange, University of Cambridge, UK
Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. What is Judaism?; 2. Religious Authority; 3. Prayer and Mysticism; 4. Jewish Thought; 5. Gender; 6: Politics; 7: Culture; 8: Memory; 9: Jews and Others; 10: Jewish Futures; Bibliography; Index.
