WorldPerfect

WorldPerfect
Author: Ken Spiro
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2020-08-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0757324061

In pursuit of an answer to the question of what would constitute a perfect world, author Ken Spiro questioned more than 1,500 people of various backgrounds and religions. His findings revealed six core elements: Respect for human life; peace and harmony; justice and equality; education; family; and social responsibility. He then set off on a journey to find out why these were such common goals across cultural, economic, social and racial lines, and in the process, traced the history of the development of world religions, values and ethics. As a rabbi, he paid particular attention to how Judaism impacted, and was influenced by, the course of these developments. The result is a highly readable and well-documented book about the origins of values and virtues in Western civilization as influenced by the Greeks, Romans, Christians, Muslims and, most significantly, the Jews. The history of religion, presented in Spiro’s highly readable style, is a fascinating and timely subject, especially in today’s volatile religious climate. Spiro divides his book into five engaging parts: Where the Quality of Mercy Was Not Strained: The World of Greece and Rome Against the Grain: The Jewish View A Father to Many Nations: Abraham and the Implications of Monotheism With Sword and Fire: The Rise of Christianity and Islam The New Promised Land: Impact of Judaism on Liberal Democracies Readers of all faiths will find that the elements of a perfect world can only be achieved by a common understanding of our mutual backgrounds and that our diverse religions are all merely branches growing from one single tree.

Picture History of Jewish Civilization

Picture History of Jewish Civilization
Author: Bezalel Narkiss
Publisher: Book Sales
Total Pages: 240
Release: 1978
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781555211004

Traces developments during three thousand years of Jewish cultural, intellectual, and social history

Judaism Faces the Twentieth Century

Judaism Faces the Twentieth Century
Author: Mel Scult
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Total Pages: 444
Release: 1993
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780814322802

Kaplan, who died in 1983 at the age of 102, arrived in America as a boy, and, as he grew, sought to find ways of making Judaism compatible with the American experience and the modern temper. He founded the Jewish Center and the Society for the Advancement of Judaism, establishing the prototypes for the modern expanded synagogue. This biography reappraises the significance of his contributions and offers an intimate look at the man and his thinking. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Jews and Humor

Jews and Humor
Author: Leonard J. Greenspoon
Publisher: Purdue University Press
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2011-10-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1612491553

Jews and humor is, for most people, a natural and felicitous collocation. In spite of, or perhaps because of, a history of crises and living on the edge, Jews have often created or resorted to humor. But what is humor? And what makes certain types, instances, or performances of humor "Jewish"? These are among the myriad queries addressed by the fourteen authors whose essays are collected in this volume. And, thankfully, their observations, always apt and often witty, are expressed with a lightness of style and a depth of analysis that are appropriate to the many topics they cover. The scholars who contributed to this collection allow readers both to discern the common features that make up "Jewish humor" and to delight in the individualism and eccentricities of the many figures whose lives and accomplishments are narrated here. Because these essays are written in a clear, jargon-free style, they will appeal to everyone—even those who don't usually crack a smile!

Medieval Jewish Civilization

Medieval Jewish Civilization
Author: Norman Roth
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 726
Release: 2014-04-08
Genre: History
ISBN: 1136771557

This is the first encyclopedic work to focus exclusively on medieval Jewish civilization, from the fall of the Roman Empire to about 1492. The more than 150 alphabetically organized entries, written by scholars from around the world, include biographies, countries, events, social history, and religious concepts. The coverage is international, presenting people, culture, and events from various countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. For a full list of entries and contributors, a generous selection of sample entries, and more, visit the Medieval Jewish Civilization: An Encyclopedia website.

The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, Volume 1

The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, Volume 1
Author: Jeffrey H. Tigay
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 600
Release: 2021-03-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 0300135505

The Posen Library's groundbreaking anthology series—called "a feast of Jewish culture, in ten volumes" by The Chronicle of Higher Education—offers with Volume 1 an exploration of the culture of ancient Israel, including its literature, legal documents, and visual arts "Readers seeking primary texts, documents, images, and artifacts constituting Jewish culture and civilization will not be disappointed. More important, they might even be inspired. . . . This set will serve to improve teaching and research in Jewish studies at institutions of higher learning and, at the same time, promote, maintain, and improve understanding of the Jewish population and Judaism in general."—Booklist, Starred Review The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, Volume 1, covers the earliest period of Jewish civilization, from the second millennium BCE through 332 BCE. Organized by genre, this book presents a collection of some of the earliest products of Jewish culture, including extensive selections from the Tanakh and the Hebrew Bible; extrabiblical inscriptions and documents by and about Israelites and Jews, found by archaeologists in the lands of Israel, Egypt, and Mesopotamia; and images representing the visual culture of ancient Israel. Combining genres that have never been presented together in a single publication, Volume 1 illustrates ancient Israel’s cultural innovations and commonalities with neighboring societies.

Religious Foundations of Western Civilization

Religious Foundations of Western Civilization
Author: Jacob Neusner
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Total Pages: 699
Release: 2010-08-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1426719418

World Religions Religious Foundations of Western Civilization introduces students to the major Western world religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—their beliefs, key concepts, history, as well as the fundamental role they have played, and continue to play, in Western culture. Contributors include: Jacob Neusner, Alan J. Avery-Peck, Bruce D. Chilton, Th. Emil Homerin, Jon D. Levenson, William Scott Green, Seymour Feldman, Elliot R. Wolfson, James A. Brundage, Olivia Remie Constable, and Amila Buturovic. "This book provides a superb source of information for scientists and scholars from all disciplines who are trying to understand religion in the context of human cultural evolution." David Sloan Wilson, Professor, Departments of Biology and Anthropology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York This is the right book at the right time. Globalization, religious revivalism, and international politics have made it more important than ever to appreciate the significant contributions of the Children of Abraham to the formation and development of Western civilization. John L. Esposito, University Professor and Founding Director of the Center for Muslm-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Jacob Neusner is Research Professor of Religion and Theology, and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. General Interest/Other Religions/Comparative Religion

Time and Process in Ancient Judaism

Time and Process in Ancient Judaism
Author: Sacha Stern
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
Total Pages: 151
Release: 2003-10-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1909821799

This illuminating study is about the absence of time as an entity in itself in ancient Judaism, and the predominance instead of process in the ancient Jewish world-view. Evidence is drawn from a complete range of Jewish sources from this period.

The Timechart History of Jewish Civilization

The Timechart History of Jewish Civilization
Author:
Publisher: Chartwell Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2010-06-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780785819172

A 34-page booklet and a 12-foot illustrated accordion fold pull-out section make up this thorough, and thoroughly entertaining book. This oversized hardcover book makes a beautiful, unique gift, or an informative and valuable addition to any library. The book consists of three parts. First, the timechart, an accordian-fold diagram, which may be viewed as double-page spreads, as in a conventional book, or unfolded to display as one eleven-foot-long strip. This diagram shows the principal landmarks of Jewish history from the very beginning to the present day. Secondly, on the reverse side of the diagram, readers will find articles on special aspects of Judaism, its history, background, and customs. Thirdly, at the back of the book is an illustrated series of chapters enlarging upon specific stages and certain aspects of Jewish history.