Judaism

by Martha A. Morrison, Stephen F. Brown

An account of the history and rituals of Judaism, examining such areas as sacred use of the Hebrew language and the role of the faith in establishing the contemporary nation of Israel.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1991

Reviews

[Harrier Mageli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very base level, very simple. If you have a child interested in religion this would be a good choice but beyond that this is a bit too simplistic

[Mahdi Essekelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judaism is an informative piece of work written by the knowledgeable authors, Martha Morrison and Stephen Brown. Judaism is a nonfiction book about modern Judaism, the history of Judaism, and lastly, the effects of Judaism. Furthermore, Judaism also briefly explains Jewish beliefs, branches, and the Hebrew Bible. “Judaism, whose followers are known as the Jews, is one of the world’s most long-lived religious traditions.” (Morrison, 6) First and foremost, Judaism is an ancient religion that was born 3,500 years ago in the Near East. Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion to this day, and it had major influences on the following monotheistic religions; Christianity and Islam. One of the beliefs that Judaism had passed on to Christianity and Islam is the principle that there is only one universal God, whom Jews referred to as Yahweh. Another very important belief in Judaism is that Jews were the special ones to be chosen by God and to receive his law. The law was believed to be descended from God and conserved in the Torah, along with the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. The law, which is a code of ethical conduct, is believed to be interpreted by Yahweh; the judge of the universe. Those who follow it are rewarded, whereas those who are disobedient are punished by God. Lastly, there is a traditional Jewish principle about a Messiah, or savior who will reward those who have accepted Yahweh and obeyed the law. It is also believed that this Messiah will rule a perfect world through the lead of Israel. All in all, Martha Morrison and Stephen Brown wrote the fascinating book, Judaism, in order to educate the reader on Jews and their religion, Judaism.

Judaism is a very resourceful nonfiction book that enlightens the reader on Judaism and its faith. Using the book’s well-rounded information and appropriate pictures, one can compare and contrast Judaism to other monotheistic and polytheistic religions, as well as other mythologies. For example, an interesting yet valid comparison is Judaism and the classical mythology of Ancient Greece. First and most importantly, Greek Mythology is polytheistic, whereas Judaism is monotheistic. This means that unlike Greek Mythology’s numerous Gods and Olympians, Judaism only has one supreme-being; Yahweh. Second of all, the Greek myths and the Jewish faith are also opposed when it comes to the personality of God/the gods. This is because Greeks characterised gods with the same feelings and characteristics as humans. Jews, on the other hand, believe that Yahweh is the all-just and all-powerful supreme being. However, Greek Mythology and Judaism also have some similarities; both of these faiths believe in heroes. In Judaism, people believe in the saviours Moses and David, and they also believe in a savior to come in the future; the Messiah. Similarly, Greek Mythology contains myths about many heroes such as Theseus, Hercules, and Perseus. All in all, Judaism is a very resourceful nonfiction book that enlightens the reader on Judaism, allowing the reader to compare it to other faiths.

Judaism is a resourceful, interesting, and rich book, which is why I would recommend it. First of all, I wouldn’t advise Judaism to students lower than grade 8, because of the author’s use of professional vocabulary and complex sentence structure. On the other hand, I would recommend it to the older students and adults who are interested in learning about Judaism, for it is very descriptive and it possesses a lot of valuable information. Second of all, I would only recommend Judaism to average readers and devoted readers, which is because the authors have made this nonfiction book dense and lengthy. Judaism 's length could make the devoted readers captivated by its knowledge, but on the other hand, the size would probably make passive readers bored by its size. Therefore, I would not advise this nonfiction book to lazy readers. Finally, I would also recommend Judaism to students and adults who are openminded and willing to discover new cultures. If the reader isn’t adventurous, they will not be pleased to read and even worst, they won’t have learned anything about Judaism. Readers who are willing to discover new peoples and new cultures, on the other hand, are going to use Judaism to learn important information about Jews and their background. Thus, Judaism is engaging, resourceful, and interesting, which is why I advise it to all devoted and adventurous readers above the seventh grade.