Creation, Covenant, and the Beginnings of Judaism

Creation, Covenant, and the Beginnings of Judaism PDF

Author: Ari Mermelstein

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2014-10-13

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 9004281657

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This study examines the relationship between time and history in Second Temple literature. Numerous sources from that period express a belief that Jewish history began with an act of covenant formation and proceeded in linear fashion until the exile, an unprecedented event which severed the present from the past. The authors of Ben Sira, Jubilees, the Animal Apocalypse, and 4 Ezra responded to this theological challenge by claiming instead that Jewish history began at creation. Between creation and redemption, history unfolds as a series of static, repeating patterns that simultaneously account for the disappointments of the Second Temple period and confirm the eternal nature of the covenant. As iterations of timeless, cyclical patterns, the difficult post-exilic present and the glorious redemption of the future emerge as familiar, unremarkable, and inevitable historical developments.

The Evolving Covenant

The Evolving Covenant PDF

Author: Hillel Katzir

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2013-07-12

Total Pages: 146

ISBN-13: 1483653323

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The relationship of the Jewish people with God can be seen as like that of parent and child: as much as the parent cares for the child, the parent must prepare the child for adulthood by gradually stepping back and allowing the child to take ever greater responsibility. This overview of Jewish history sees God as preparing the Jewish people in just this way, for partnership with God in the ongoing project of bringing order to a chaotic world in order to complete an unfinished Creation; and, by setting an example, to invite all of humanity into that partnership as well.

Covenant and Hope

Covenant and Hope PDF

Author: Robert W. Jenson

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2012-07-27

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 0802867049

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Covenant and Hope centers around two main themes in Jewish-Christian dialogue: "Covenant, Mission, and Relation to the Other" and "Hope and Responsibility for the Human Future." In the first section scholars from both faiths analyze the idea of covenant, how it determines their religious commitments, behavior, and theology, and how their covenantal theology shapes their relations with people outside their religious communities. The second section focuses on the foundation for religious hope, how belief in the future can be nourished, and on our practical and philosophic responsibility to work for a better human future.

Covenant and Conversation

Covenant and Conversation PDF

Author: Jonathan Sacks

Publisher: Maggid

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781592640218

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In this second volume of his long-anticipated five-volume collection of parashat hashavua commentaries, Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks explores these intersections as they relate to universal concerns of freedom, love, responsibility, identity, and destiny. Chief Rabbi Sacks fuses Jewish tradition, Western philosophy, and literature to present a highly developed understanding of the human condition under Gods sovereignty. Erudite and eloquent, Covenant Conversation allows us to experience Chief Rabbi Sacks sophisticated approach to life lived in an ongoing dialogue with the Torah.

The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis

The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis PDF

Author:

Publisher: Grove/Atlantic, Inc.

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 146

ISBN-13: 9780802136107

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Hailed as "the most radical repackaging of the Bible since Gutenberg", these Pocket Canons give an up-close look at each book of the Bible.

The Covenant in Judaism and Paul

The Covenant in Judaism and Paul PDF

Author: Ellen Juhl Christiansen

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13: 9789004103337

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This study examines covenant identity and rituals suggesting that while in Palestinian Judaism several rituals affirm covenant belonging, for Paul covenant is not ritually affirmed, since baptism marks entry into Christ or the church rather than into the covenant.

Restarting Genesis; A Covenant View of Creation

Restarting Genesis; A Covenant View of Creation PDF

Author: F. Michael Colacuori

Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.

Published: 2020-10-12

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 1645597121

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Does the Bible seem difficult to understand? Have you switched to a modern translation to make it easier? Literary devices such as hyperbole and apocalyptic language appear frequently and may limit our understanding more than the translation. Most of the Bible is expressed in terms of covenant, an important concept that is also not well understood and which is seldom explained by our churches. If we fail to understand such concepts, we will be unlikely to fully appreciate the entire Bible. Those who would applaud our difficulty and would like to dismantle our belief system entirely may have attempted to discredit early Genesis more than any other portion of scripture. If Genesis 1:1 is not true, where does that leave the rest of the Bible? Did Jesus actually die for my sins? Is God, himself, a myth? If apparent conflicts go unresolved, it becomes easier to question the relevance of the entire Bible. The resolution of much of the difficulty lies in gaining an understanding of covenant creation. If you have ever thought that the Bible is full of errors, think again. It was not written to people in the culture of the 21st century western world. It was written to a people who lived 2,000 or more years ago in a culture which had a different way of thinking, of using words, and even numbers. I hope to show that the Bible is highly accurate and relevant for today's reader. To understand it the way the original hearers would have, we must get inside the mind of the ancient near easterner. This book attempts to bring the Bible into focus for today. It is not necessary to change its teaching or to alter doctrine. However, gaining an understanding for today requires a new way of looking at it. I hope to make that possible for you, today's 21st century western reader.

Power and Emotion in Ancient Judaism

Power and Emotion in Ancient Judaism PDF

Author: Ari Mermelstein

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-06-17

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13: 1108831559

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Offers a theoretical account of the relationship between power, emotion, and identity through an analysis of ancient Jewish texts.