Recovering Judaism: The Universal Dimension of Judaism

by Jacob Neusner

The renewed perception of Judaism's influence Judaism today is too often thought to represent a religious backwater, a highly particularistic, religion with its own esoteric tales and traditions, practices and norms. First Christians, then Jews themselves, have succumbed to this characterization, resulting in dismissal of Judaism's universal religious significance. Bereft of its religious import, Judaism is increasingly thought merely an ethnic designationand a quickly dissipating one at that. Neusner pleas for vindication of "the universal character and appeal of Judaic monotheism in the mainstream of humanity." Of the three great monotheistic religions, only Judaism has survived without political power, military might, or great numbers of adherents and has done so because its method and message aim to persuade the world of God's dominion and the marks of God's rule.

Genres: Judaism

216 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2000

About the author

Born 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.

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an apologetic by Neusner against the Christian and Muslim claims that Judaism is an ethnic and particularistic religion. Neusner draws on the foundational documents of rabbinic Judaism - Mishnah, Tosefta, 2 Talmuds, Midrash Rabbah, Sifre, Sifra, and Mekhilta di R. Ishmael - in order to make the case that Judaism, as originally formulated by the rabbis of the early Christian era, was just as universal as Christian doctrine.

The one failing of the book is that Neusner never deals with the fact that most Jews today would agree with the Christian critique. What happened? What are the historical circumstances? Why is it that a Jew today sees himself as an ethnic minority and that the Torah is reserved for him alone?