Judaism Theology

A noted biblical scholar explores how the claim of divine choice has been used from ancient times to the present to justify territorial expansion and prejudice.

The Hiddenness of God addresses the problem of divine hiddenness which concerns the ambiguity of evidence for God's existence, the elusiveness of God's comforting presence, the palpable and devastating experience of divine absence and abandonment, and more; phenomena which are hard to reconcile with the idea, central to the Jewish and Christian scriptures, that there exists a God who is deeply and lovingly concerned with the lives of humans. Michael C. Rea argues that divine hiddenness is not a problem to be explained away but rather a consequence of the nature of God himself.

The relationship between Judaism and Christianity has been acrimonious throughout most of history. Often confronted with persecution, with arguments of Divine rejection, and with religious practices and beliefs that appeared pagan and even idolatrous to them, most rabbis viewed Christianity negatively. However, quite surprisingly, not all rabbis viewed Christianity in this light.

Joseph (Yossel) Green was a college student who was sure he knew everything - including that the Divine has no control over the world - until the day when his zaidy asked him to elaborate. Conversations with Zaidy is a journey through the deepest fundamentals of Judaism, framed as a conversation between a grandfather and grandson exploring various common questions that people have about belief in God.

"The Disputation at Barcelona" was a pivotal event in 1263 where Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, a prominent Jewish scholar, engaged in a formal debate with Pablo Christiani, a Jewish convert to Christianity, in the court of King James I of Aragon.

Has the final countdown to the end days begun? Are the heavens telling us we are nearing the end? Astronomers have noticed it is coming. Historians have noted its significance. From the discovery of the New World to the creation of modern-day Israel, these years of the four blood moons have truly been turning points in history. Bible prophecy describes the moon being darkened and turned to blood. What is the significance of these signs in the skies? What will the future bring?

Das Buch Hiob ist einer der schönsten und bekanntesten Teile des Alten Testaments. Es erzählt von Hiobs glücklichem Leben und seiner Frömmigkeit, die durch Gott geprüft wird, indem er ihm all sein Hab und Gut, seine Verwandten und Freunde nimmt.

God is not boring. He is not dull, dry, nor bland. Yet many have failed to see this. What if the scriptures reveal a God who thinks and acts outside of the box? What if the God of the Bible does things that are odd to our finite human minds? This book explores the lesser known aspects of God's character that might offend your intellect while intriguing your spirit. Be invited to go on this journey of discovering The Wild, Weird and Wonderful Ways of Yahweh.

Das Hohelied der Liebe ist einer der ungewöhnlichsten Texte der jüdischen und christlichen Religionsgeschichte...

Peter Menkin of The Church of England Newspaper conducted significant interviews with three Rabbis on the topic of religious education. These interviews are unique due to the new success of Internet education and its use in Jewish learning and the teaching of the Torah, as well as Orthodox Jewish adult education.

In 1942, in Kaunas, Lithuania, the occupying German forces decreed that any pregnant Jewish woman would be summarily executed. On August 26, 1942, a Jewish woman realized she was pregnant and approached her rabbi, Ephraim Oshry, seeking advice. He determined that an abortion was necessary to save her life. The situation was something no woman or rabbi should have to face. But the scenario was real, and Rabbi Ephraim Oshry ruled based on Jewish law.

Samuel Usque in The Consolations for the Tribulations of Israel examines the trials and misfortunes of the Jewish people in an effort to both comfort and encourage Anusim (forced or coerced converts to Christianity). For Usque, in the context of his audience, “history” serves to alleviate their pain, to convince them of the reasons for their current predicament, and to convince them that an immanent redemption was soon to be realized. The Consolations have often proven inaccessible to many readers. This work focuses on providing a review of the key concepts.

This book explores some of the prevailing attitudes and ideas held by Maimonides, or the Rambam, i.e., Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, and Benedictus (Baruch) Spinoza on the subject of knowing God. A hypothetical dialogue between these two philosophers and I is presented.

In traditional Judaism, the revelation of the Torah at Sinai was a miraculous event. It is the foundational event of the Jewish people as a nation. The rabbis perceived God's continued involvement in creation, but also saw limitations on how divine intervention functioned in the realm of Jewish law. Discover the fascinating manner in which Torah and prophecy were understood and how each had its proper domain.

The term "kashrut" refers to the Jewish religious dietary laws derived from the Torah. The term "kashrut" is derived from the Hebrew word "kasher" meaning "fit" or "acceptable". From the word "kasher", we derive the word "kosher" in its anglicized form. But before we discuss what kosher is, let’s discuss some ideas as to “why” kosher exists. Why, after all, would a religious faith be concerned about what people eat? This audiobook provides the student or curious individual with the basics of what kosher is and why it is observed by religious Jews around the world.

Have you ever wondered how a dialogue with a Jewish person on whether or not the Messiah is God would develop? Now there is no need to wonder. This book contain an actual exchange of letters between a Jewish man and a Messianic Jew. A dialogue of this type can take many different directions and is usually based on the comments of the other party.

Of all the Jewish thinkers that arose in the 20th century, none stands out as revolutionary and as controversial as Mordecai Kaplan. Kaplan was paradoxical. Despite his commitment to Jewish life as generally recognizable to traditionally oriented Jews, his theological predilections were such that the fundamental nature of Jewish religious identity was transformed in his reconstruction of Judaism. While Kaplan was vilified by many Orthodox and finally excommunicated by the rabbis of Agudath Israel, not all his right of center critics were ready to dismiss him completely.

In 2006, I was attending several week-long classes at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in Chicago. One of the classes was titled “Who is a Jew?” and was taught by my doctoral advisor, Rabbi Dr. Byron Sherwin, of blessed memory. The course discussed biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and modern perspectives on the question. As Rabbi Sherwin was accustomed to doing, he typically included unusual cases for us to consider. Decades before, a student at the Spertus Institute had stirred some controversy.

Why should any Jew in their right mind wish to consider or perhaps reconsider, Christianity from a different vantage point? It is a fair question. There are potentially many reasons. Intellectual honesty is an important one. This book seeks to explore alternative approaches to Christianity that permit Jews to consider it as something else besides idolatry without abandoning traditional Jewish theology.

The study of demons is a complex topic, as it taps into the most supernatural aspects of the monotheistic traditions. These mysterious beings have sparked countless legends, from tales about their origin, to perspectives that claim they can take hold of human consciousness and bodies. The focus of this audiobook is the nature of demonology and demon possession in the time leading up to the second temple era. The period of the second temple was a time of turmoil, with competing revelations and perspectives.