Rabbinic Categories

Rabbinic Categories
Author: Jacob Neusner
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 450
Release: 2005-09-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9047415639

A systematic study of the canonical construction of Rabbinic categories, Halakhic, then Aggadic, followed by a comparison of the theological category-formations in Rabbinic Judaism, generative vs. inert, primary vs. subordinate. The book provides a systematic and thorough account of the rules of making connections and drawing conclusions that govern in classes of documents, for the Halakhah from the Mishnah through the Bavli, for the Aggadah from Scripture through the Midrash-compilations, Genesis Rabbah, Leviticus Rabbah, and Pesiqta deRab Kahana; for both the Mishnah and Scripture through the Bavli. The book then compares and contrasts theological category-formations of the Rabbinic Aggadic writings by the criteria indicated in the title: generative vs. inert, primary vs. subordinate.

Formative Judaism

Formative Judaism
Author: Jacob Neusner
Publisher: Global Academic Publishing
Total Pages: 446
Release: 2000
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781586840440

Examines the history, philosophy and hermeneutics, and law and literature of formative Judaism.

Dual Discourse, Single Judaism

Dual Discourse, Single Judaism
Author: Jacob Neusner
Publisher: University Press of America
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2001
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780761819288

The dual discourse tells a continuous story."--BOOK JACKET.

The Perfect Torah

The Perfect Torah
Author: Jacob Neusner
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2003-06-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9047402227

The perfect Torah is the medium through which the one, unique God makes himself known. The Judaic statement of monotheism comes to expression in Scripture as perfected by the Oral Torah in its native category-formations, Halakhah, norms of behavior, and Aggadah norms of belief. The Halakhah of the oral Torah conveys monotheism in a philosophical mode, and the Aggadah, monotheism in a mythic mode. What is perfect about the dual Torah, written and oral, is the perfect match between the message and the medium, Halakhah for the philosophical monotheism, Aggadah for the mythic statement of the same monotheism. Chapters One and Two explain the former, Chapters Three and Four the latter. The question answered here concerns how one canonical corpus perfects its companion and produces in consequence perfection: the realization of the initial intent and program of the Written by the Oral Torah. That is addressed by the construction of large exemplary structures of comparison and contrast in the shank of the book. Four principles are established: [1] the perfection through the systematization of the law of the Written Torah by the Oral Torah, in Chapter One; [2] the perfection of the medium of the Halakhah for the message of philosophical monotheism, in Chapter Two; [3] the perfection of Scripture's anomalous writings through the dismantling of one document and the systematic recasting of another, in Chapter Three; [4] the perfection of the medium of Aggadah in its form of narrative for the message of theology concerning God's personality and activity, in Chapter Four.