Judaism Theology

A great many Jewish holidays and practices, in their earliest understanding, reflect the great innovation of Biblical religion. The Bible emphasized historical events in contrast to nature. Other ancient Near Eastern religions stressed the latter. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel noted, in the Jewish tradition, faith is memory. The observances of Jewish holidays and various Jewish practices articulate theological ideas reflective of collective Jewish memory.

How do I live a more meaningful life? In an era when we can choose our own identities, why might we choose to identify as Jews? These are just some of the questions Zack Bodner addresses as he thoughtfully shifts from asking “Why be Jewish?” to “Why do Jewish?” Through a combination of personal stories, insights from some of the world’s greatest teachers, and contemporary analysis, Why Do Jewish? takes one of our oldest wisdom traditions and provides an accessible guide for anyone looking for answers to life’s most important questions.

Questioning the Answers is the story of the author’s honest search to discover the answers to the whys of Judaism. Join Kayla as she questions the responses she was given, finds the core truth, and becomes consciously religious. If you are truly searching and are passionate about understanding the reason for it all, this book is for you.

Almost every religious tradition includes a form of prayer or meditation. That being the case, what exactly characterizes prayer as Jewish? Jewish prayer utilizes the idioms and expressions of the Hebrew Bible and the sages of Israel. In short, traditional Jewish prayer expresses the fundamental values and beliefs of Judaism.

What Am I Missing? illuminates the difficult life lesson that everyone is missing something in their lives. This truth includes six significant characters of the Hebrew Bible: Abraham and Rachel; Moses and Miriam; and David and Esther. Using texts from the Hebrew Bible as our source of interpretation, we search for the meaning of "what is missing" in each of them and ourselves. These challenges provoke questions that have no simple answers and stimulate us to reflect on being a human with purpose and hope today.

Spirits Unveiled is an in-depth study of angelic beings, ghosts, and demonic entities and the deliverance from such spirits. The book engages angelology and demonology to examine the mysterious realm of the spirit world.

The idea of a distinctive Messiah, with a specific role, was not definitively established across all the Jewish movements of the Second Temple era. Some groups expected multiple messiahs, and some did not expect one at all. Our focus is on the topic of the Messiah and how different groups understood this office. We can draw some understanding regarding an expectation of a Messiah. The Messiah is generally understood to be a person who at the end of history or the present world order will bring salvation to Israel.

Some revivals in church history, such as the Reformation and the Great Awakening, were somewhat similar to the events described in the Book of Ezra and by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. When a remnant left Babylon and returned to Jerusalem bearing the vessels of the Lord, they restored the altar, laid the foundation, and rebuilt the house of the Lord. The Book of Nehemiah, however, is in a different setting. Years have gone by, and things are no longer well in Jerusalem. The “wall” is broken down and the “gates” are burned with fire.

In the eighth century, a debate between Sergius the Stylite and a Jew occurred. The discussion was conveniently titled Debate against a Jew. It records arguments about the relevance of biblical texts to Christians and the Jewish people. The anti-Jewish perspectives of Sergius are not surprising. The response given by his Jewish interlocutor is, however. The Jew noted that he was surprised by the number of Christians who attended his synagogue, contributed to it, and celebrated various Jewish holidays alongside Jews.

While arguing with the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; . . .” In this book we will examine the Tanakh in order to assess the validity of Jesus’ claim. Hesed Volume One is the first book in a four volume series written for Jewish people who want to know the truth about Jesus.

The offspring of the Watchers (and their human mates) were what the bible calls "giants" or "Nephilim." These half-humans/half-fallen-angel hybrids were extremely wicked, and began eating everything and everybody! This is the reason, some scholars say, for God's sending the flood of Noah. Additionally, The Book of the Watchers outlines how these fallen angels corrupted mankind by teaching them forbidden knowledge of weapon-making, sorcery, witchcraft, astrology, and other forbidden technologies.

Satan Unmasked examines passages of scriptures concerning Satan and the origins of how he evolved into doctrines and belief systems, taking on many different forms as the embodiment of evil.

What happens when a person recognizes that there is more to life than making money, travelling, and keeping busy? What happens when we realize - or simply sense - that there is more? The purpose of this book is to tackle these questions. Now what? Now that I know there is more, what should I do to get on the path of connecting to my soul and maximizing my eternal life without making radical changes and turning my whole life upside down?

An MBA from Heaven brings together business and spirituality in a cohesive and engaging narrative to answer the big questions that preoccupy employers and employees. Biblical stories are interwoven with real business stories to illustrate a huge range of topics. No religious or business knowledge is required, and many of the lessons apply to other life situations.

Is it possible to stay hopeful—and to keep a sense of humor—while your deepest desire is threatened? When you're falsely accused? When people you trust advise you to hide your heritage? Melanie Herz Promecene, who faced each of those challenges while trying to adopt a child, is walking proof that the answer is yes. In this staggeringly honest, often hilarious, always hopeful memoir, Promecene takes listeners with her through the terror of 9/11 in New York, the floods of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, the winding streets of Beijing, and a beautiful day in Florence.

At first glance, the topics included in this volume may appear to be a series of disjointed and independent essays. These topics, in my opinion, cover recurring themes and questions that define much of Jewish theology. Any attempt to address Jewish theology comprehensively would require many volumes. This work is focused on a few key concepts only. It is intended for the beginner but hopefully contains sufficient information to also be of interest to the more advanced reader and prove the starting point towards greater study.

Chapter One, titled The Rise of the Converso Problem, provides the historical context for the mass conversions of 1391. It will do so by providing a survey of important events in the history of Iberian Jewry from the Late Roman Period until the massacres of 1391. The second chapter, titled Christian Attitudes Towards Conversos, surveys the range of Christian views towards Conversos during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries.

Dr. Moshe Finkelman emerges as an expert on Jewish faith in his book God Is Not Dead: Man’s Pursuit of Faith in Judaism. For the first time since the 18th century’s The Path of the Upright of Rabbi Luzzatto, there is a book that describes a system of growth in faith, from the initial level to the ultimate level of knowledge of God, leading to closeness to God. Dr. Finkelman gradually and convincingly takes the listener through steps of growth in faith, leaving no argument unsettled and no subject unexplained.

Today, many Jewish Americans are embracing a dual religious identity, practicing Buddhism while also staying connected to their Jewish roots. This book tells the story of Judaism's encounter with Buddhism in the United States, showing how it has given rise to new contemplative forms within American Judaism - and shaped the way Americans understand and practice Buddhism. Taking listeners from the 19th century to today, Emily Sigalow traces the history of these two traditions in America and explains how they came together.

The year was 1391. Spring was about to turn into summer. By the end of the summer, 80 Jewish communities in Castile and Aragon were torn by violence. A third of the Jewish community had been murdered. Perhaps another third of the Jewish community had converted. Only a third of the Jewish population remained intact. While their conversions had initially been met with a grand celebration by their Christian neighbors, those Jews who had yielded to baptism to rescue their lives and those of their families eventually proved a thorn in the side of the church. Could they be trusted?