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Comparing Religions Through Law
Comparing Religions Through Law offers a ground- breaking study which compares these two religions through shared dominant structures. In the case of Judaism and Islam the dominant structure is law.
Comparing Religions Through Law presents an innovative and sometimes controversial study of the comparisons and contrasts between the two religions and offers an example of how comparative religious studies can provide grounds for mutual understanding.
Comparing Religions Through Law presents an innovative and sometimes controversial study of the comparisons and contrasts between the two religions and offers an example of how comparative religious studies can provide grounds for mutual understanding.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Jacob Neusner
1,224 books58 followersBorn in Hartford, Connecticut, Neusner was educated at Harvard University, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (where he received rabbinic ordination), the University of Oxford, and Columbia University.
Neusner is often celebrated as one of the most published authors in history (he has written or edited more than 950 books.)Since 1994, he taught at Bard College. He also taught at Columbia University, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Brandeis University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, and the University of South Florida.
Neusner was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University. He is the only scholar to have served on both the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. He also received scores of academic awards, honorific and otherwise.
Neusner is often celebrated as one of the most published authors in history (he has written or edited more than 950 books.)Since 1994, he taught at Bard College. He also taught at Columbia University, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Brandeis University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, and the University of South Florida.
Neusner was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University. He is the only scholar to have served on both the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. He also received scores of academic awards, honorific and otherwise.
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November 27, 2022
The purpose of this book is to compare Judaism and Islam- but not Judaism and Islam as actually practiced today. Instead, the book focuses on Talmud-era Judaism and the classical Islam of the 10th and 11th centuries, when the leading schools of Sunni Islamic law had become established.
In many ways, the differences between Jewish and Islamic law are fairly subtle. But because Islam ruled large chunks of the world 1000 years ago, Islamic law regarding political power and war is far more developed. (By contrast, Jews had almost no political power at the time of the Talmud). Even though the Talmud does mention slaves, the Islamic law of slavery is more developed. However, medieval Islamic and Jewish law are somewhat similar on this issue, in that both take the existence of slavery for granted, but encourage people to free their slaves or at least treat them decently.
Finally, the authors conclude that some areas of Jewish law are simply unique: no time is as holy in Islam as the Sabbath, and no place is as special in classical Islamic law as the land of Israel was for Jews.
In many ways, the differences between Jewish and Islamic law are fairly subtle. But because Islam ruled large chunks of the world 1000 years ago, Islamic law regarding political power and war is far more developed. (By contrast, Jews had almost no political power at the time of the Talmud). Even though the Talmud does mention slaves, the Islamic law of slavery is more developed. However, medieval Islamic and Jewish law are somewhat similar on this issue, in that both take the existence of slavery for granted, but encourage people to free their slaves or at least treat them decently.
Finally, the authors conclude that some areas of Jewish law are simply unique: no time is as holy in Islam as the Sabbath, and no place is as special in classical Islamic law as the land of Israel was for Jews.
Displaying 1 of 1 review