Joshua A. Berman
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195374704
- eISBN:
- 9780199871438
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195374704.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism, Biblical Studies
This book reveals the Hebrew Bible to be a sophisticated work of political philosophy, and the birthplace of egalitarian thought. Focusing on the Pentateuch, this book lays bare the manner in which ...
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This book reveals the Hebrew Bible to be a sophisticated work of political philosophy, and the birthplace of egalitarian thought. Focusing on the Pentateuch, this book lays bare the manner in which the Bible appropriated and reconstituted ancient norms and institutions to create a new blueprint for society. Theology, politics, and economics were marshaled anew to weaken traditional seats of power, and to create a homogeneous class of empowered common citizens. Much of this anticipates developments in the history of political thought that would recur only during the Enlightenment and in the thought of the American Founding Fathers. Ancient religion granted sacral legitimation to the ruling classes and saw the masses as mere servants. The Pentateuch, by contrast, elevates the common citizenry in the eyes of God by invoking the political institution of the vassal treaty, and casting Israel as a subordinate king to the Almighty through the theology of covenant. Through the prism of the political philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and Montesquieu, the book demonstrates the Pentateuch to be history's first proposal for the distribution of political power. Utilizing the anthropology of pre‐modern economies, ancient norms are explored concerning land tenure, taxation, and loans are reworked so that the common citizenry remains economically secure. Invoking the transformational role of the printing press in the spread of the Reformation and the birth of the Enlightenment, the book identifies far‐reaching consequences in the Bible's approach to what was then the new technology of communication: the alphabetic text.Less
This book reveals the Hebrew Bible to be a sophisticated work of political philosophy, and the birthplace of egalitarian thought. Focusing on the Pentateuch, this book lays bare the manner in which the Bible appropriated and reconstituted ancient norms and institutions to create a new blueprint for society. Theology, politics, and economics were marshaled anew to weaken traditional seats of power, and to create a homogeneous class of empowered common citizens. Much of this anticipates developments in the history of political thought that would recur only during the Enlightenment and in the thought of the American Founding Fathers. Ancient religion granted sacral legitimation to the ruling classes and saw the masses as mere servants. The Pentateuch, by contrast, elevates the common citizenry in the eyes of God by invoking the political institution of the vassal treaty, and casting Israel as a subordinate king to the Almighty through the theology of covenant. Through the prism of the political philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and Montesquieu, the book demonstrates the Pentateuch to be history's first proposal for the distribution of political power. Utilizing the anthropology of pre‐modern economies, ancient norms are explored concerning land tenure, taxation, and loans are reworked so that the common citizenry remains economically secure. Invoking the transformational role of the printing press in the spread of the Reformation and the birth of the Enlightenment, the book identifies far‐reaching consequences in the Bible's approach to what was then the new technology of communication: the alphabetic text.
Jerome Murphy-O'Connor
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199592104
- eISBN:
- 9780191595608
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592104.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Early Christian Studies
This book brings together twelve originally independent articles dealing with various aspects of 2 Corinthians which were published between 1985 and 1993. The articles deal with (a) co‐authorship in ...
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This book brings together twelve originally independent articles dealing with various aspects of 2 Corinthians which were published between 1985 and 1993. The articles deal with (a) co‐authorship in 2 Cor; (b) the connection between 2 Cor 2:13 and 14; (c) the problems envisaged by 2 Cor 3:1‐6; (d) a comparison between the ‘new covenant’ in Paul and in the Dead Sea Scrolls; (e) the effort to drive a wedge between the resident pneumatikoi and the intruding Judaizers in 2 Cor 2:14‐4:6; (f) what ‘resurrection’ in 2 Cor 4:13‐14 means; (g) 2 Cor 5:6b as a Corinthian slogan; (h) how 2 Cor 6:14‐7:1 fits into its context; (i) the parallels to Philo in 2 Cor 6:14‐7:1; (j) a synthetic presentation of the problems created by the pneumatikoi in 1‐2 Cor; (k) the identification of 2 Cor 10‐13 as ‘the sorrowful/severe letter’ (2 Cor 2:4); (l) what Paul means when he uses ‘Jesus’ unqualified.Less
This book brings together twelve originally independent articles dealing with various aspects of 2 Corinthians which were published between 1985 and 1993. The articles deal with (a) co‐authorship in 2 Cor; (b) the connection between 2 Cor 2:13 and 14; (c) the problems envisaged by 2 Cor 3:1‐6; (d) a comparison between the ‘new covenant’ in Paul and in the Dead Sea Scrolls; (e) the effort to drive a wedge between the resident pneumatikoi and the intruding Judaizers in 2 Cor 2:14‐4:6; (f) what ‘resurrection’ in 2 Cor 4:13‐14 means; (g) 2 Cor 5:6b as a Corinthian slogan; (h) how 2 Cor 6:14‐7:1 fits into its context; (i) the parallels to Philo in 2 Cor 6:14‐7:1; (j) a synthetic presentation of the problems created by the pneumatikoi in 1‐2 Cor; (k) the identification of 2 Cor 10‐13 as ‘the sorrowful/severe letter’ (2 Cor 2:4); (l) what Paul means when he uses ‘Jesus’ unqualified.
Byron L. Sherwin
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195336238
- eISBN:
- 9780199868520
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336238.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Recent sociological studies have confirmed the persistence of profound internal challenges to the continuity of Judaism as a religion and to the Jews as a people. These challenges are eroding the ...
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Recent sociological studies have confirmed the persistence of profound internal challenges to the continuity of Judaism as a religion and to the Jews as a people. These challenges are eroding the foundations of Jewish identity and are threatening the authenticity of Judaism as a historical living faith-tradition. This work “makes the case” for a return to Jewish theology as a means of restoring Jewish authenticity and for reversing self-destructive trends. After identifying and critiquing various “substitute faiths” embraced by many contemporary Jews in Chapters One and Two, the nature and goals of Jewish theology are examined (Chapter Three). Rather than depicting theology as “faith seeking understanding,” the chapters that follow present a comprehensive theology of Judaism, deeply rooted in classical Jewish texts, and an understanding of theology as “faith seeking meaning (Chapter Four). Rather than portraying theology, as often has been the case, as a systematic creed imposed from without, theology is presented here as an outcome of the dialogue between an individual's quest for meaning and the spiritual and intellectual resources of a historical faith-tradition—in this case, Judaism. Features of faith such as living in a covenantal relationship (Chapter Five), seeking a rendezvous with God in the self, the sacred word, the world, and the sacred and ethical deed, are offered as paths to individual meaning and to creating one's life as a work of art (Chapter Six), despite the challenges of evil and absurdity encountered in daily experience (Chapters Seven and Eight).Less
Recent sociological studies have confirmed the persistence of profound internal challenges to the continuity of Judaism as a religion and to the Jews as a people. These challenges are eroding the foundations of Jewish identity and are threatening the authenticity of Judaism as a historical living faith-tradition. This work “makes the case” for a return to Jewish theology as a means of restoring Jewish authenticity and for reversing self-destructive trends. After identifying and critiquing various “substitute faiths” embraced by many contemporary Jews in Chapters One and Two, the nature and goals of Jewish theology are examined (Chapter Three). Rather than depicting theology as “faith seeking understanding,” the chapters that follow present a comprehensive theology of Judaism, deeply rooted in classical Jewish texts, and an understanding of theology as “faith seeking meaning (Chapter Four). Rather than portraying theology, as often has been the case, as a systematic creed imposed from without, theology is presented here as an outcome of the dialogue between an individual's quest for meaning and the spiritual and intellectual resources of a historical faith-tradition—in this case, Judaism. Features of faith such as living in a covenantal relationship (Chapter Five), seeking a rendezvous with God in the self, the sacred word, the world, and the sacred and ethical deed, are offered as paths to individual meaning and to creating one's life as a work of art (Chapter Six), despite the challenges of evil and absurdity encountered in daily experience (Chapters Seven and Eight).
James K. Hoffmeier
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195155464
- eISBN:
- 9780199835652
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/0195155467.001.000
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
For the past two decades, the nature of ancient Israel’s origins has been debated heatedly. Much of this debate has concentrated on part of the book of Exodus and the book of Joshua. Little ...
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For the past two decades, the nature of ancient Israel’s origins has been debated heatedly. Much of this debate has concentrated on part of the book of Exodus and the book of Joshua. Little attention, however, has been given to the wilderness tradition, for example, the episodes set in Sinai (Exodus 16 through Numbers 20). The current study investigates the importance of the wilderness tradition to ancient Israel’s religious and social formation. The location of Mt. Sinai, Israel’s law or covenant, and the possible Egyptian origins of Israel’s desert sanctuary, the tabernacle, are explored in the light of Egyptian archaeological materials. The book further argues that the Torah’s narratives preserve accurate memories of the wilderness period as evidenced by the accuracy of geographical place names in Egypt and Sinai, and by the use of many personal names and technical terms that are of Egyptian etymology. These factors lend credibility to the authenticity sojourn in Egypt and the exodus traditions, rather than viewing them as purely ideological or literary fictions dating to 1,000 years after the events.Less
For the past two decades, the nature of ancient Israel’s origins has been debated heatedly. Much of this debate has concentrated on part of the book of Exodus and the book of Joshua. Little attention, however, has been given to the wilderness tradition, for example, the episodes set in Sinai (Exodus 16 through Numbers 20). The current study investigates the importance of the wilderness tradition to ancient Israel’s religious and social formation. The location of Mt. Sinai, Israel’s law or covenant, and the possible Egyptian origins of Israel’s desert sanctuary, the tabernacle, are explored in the light of Egyptian archaeological materials. The book further argues that the Torah’s narratives preserve accurate memories of the wilderness period as evidenced by the accuracy of geographical place names in Egypt and Sinai, and by the use of many personal names and technical terms that are of Egyptian etymology. These factors lend credibility to the authenticity sojourn in Egypt and the exodus traditions, rather than viewing them as purely ideological or literary fictions dating to 1,000 years after the events.
Ian Clark
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199297009
- eISBN:
- 9780191711428
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297009.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
This is the exceptional case in that the proposal to include a racial equality clause in the League Covenant was rejected. On the other hand, this is another case where the norm was supported by a ...
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This is the exceptional case in that the proposal to include a racial equality clause in the League Covenant was rejected. On the other hand, this is another case where the norm was supported by a leading state (Japan), in conjunction with a wider world society movement. The drafting history casts doubts on Japanese motives for pressing the proposal, but the failure reflects the relative weakness of Japan as a normative sponsor. While opposition to the clause certainly came from Britain, in response to pressure from parts of the empire, President Wilson's own position was ambiguous, and he certainly was not prepared to risk the Treaty of Versailles (and the League Covenant) to include it. There was a widespread pressure to hold a Pan-African Congress at Paris to coincide with the settlement. However, the Japanese delegate Baron Makino expressed a number of interesting normative arguments in support of the clause, appealing to the blurring of the distinction between international and world society brought about by the principle of collective security.Less
This is the exceptional case in that the proposal to include a racial equality clause in the League Covenant was rejected. On the other hand, this is another case where the norm was supported by a leading state (Japan), in conjunction with a wider world society movement. The drafting history casts doubts on Japanese motives for pressing the proposal, but the failure reflects the relative weakness of Japan as a normative sponsor. While opposition to the clause certainly came from Britain, in response to pressure from parts of the empire, President Wilson's own position was ambiguous, and he certainly was not prepared to risk the Treaty of Versailles (and the League Covenant) to include it. There was a widespread pressure to hold a Pan-African Congress at Paris to coincide with the settlement. However, the Japanese delegate Baron Makino expressed a number of interesting normative arguments in support of the clause, appealing to the blurring of the distinction between international and world society brought about by the principle of collective security.
Ian Clark
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199297009
- eISBN:
- 9780191711428
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297009.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Perhaps the least discussed aspect of the 1919 settlement is its provisions on social justice, and yet an entire section of the Versailles Treaty and an article of the League Covenant were devoted to ...
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Perhaps the least discussed aspect of the 1919 settlement is its provisions on social justice, and yet an entire section of the Versailles Treaty and an article of the League Covenant were devoted to the international regulation of labour, which resulted in establishment of the International Labour Organization. These developments reflected the activities of the trade union movement, and particularly its Congresses during the war, as well as heightened sensitivity to labour in the context of both the war and the outbreak of the Russian revolution. It is clear that inclusion of a section on labour was sponsored by all of the Big Three powers for various political and instrumental reasons. What was radically new about the structure of the ILO was that it allowed membership from state representatives, but also from business and labour, thereby recognizing world society membership in an otherwise international society forum. The decisive argument was that social justice was properly the business of international society because it was fundamental to achieving international peace.Less
Perhaps the least discussed aspect of the 1919 settlement is its provisions on social justice, and yet an entire section of the Versailles Treaty and an article of the League Covenant were devoted to the international regulation of labour, which resulted in establishment of the International Labour Organization. These developments reflected the activities of the trade union movement, and particularly its Congresses during the war, as well as heightened sensitivity to labour in the context of both the war and the outbreak of the Russian revolution. It is clear that inclusion of a section on labour was sponsored by all of the Big Three powers for various political and instrumental reasons. What was radically new about the structure of the ILO was that it allowed membership from state representatives, but also from business and labour, thereby recognizing world society membership in an otherwise international society forum. The decisive argument was that social justice was properly the business of international society because it was fundamental to achieving international peace.
Crawford Gribben
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195325317
- eISBN:
- 9780199785605
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195325317.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter documents Irish Cromwellian debates about baptism. Those on the radical left of Puritanism, such as Quakers and Seekers, argued that baptism was redundant in the age of the Spirit. ...
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This chapter documents Irish Cromwellian debates about baptism. Those on the radical left of Puritanism, such as Quakers and Seekers, argued that baptism was redundant in the age of the Spirit. Baptists denied their claims and argued that immersion in water ought to follow conversion. Presbyterians and Independents disagreed, arguing instead that baptism should also be provided for the children of “visible saints” and, it was occasionally claimed, also for the children of those who were not “visible saints.” This chapter demonstrates that both Baptists and those who favored the baptism of children were debating the issue through the lens of covenant theology.Less
This chapter documents Irish Cromwellian debates about baptism. Those on the radical left of Puritanism, such as Quakers and Seekers, argued that baptism was redundant in the age of the Spirit. Baptists denied their claims and argued that immersion in water ought to follow conversion. Presbyterians and Independents disagreed, arguing instead that baptism should also be provided for the children of “visible saints” and, it was occasionally claimed, also for the children of those who were not “visible saints.” This chapter demonstrates that both Baptists and those who favored the baptism of children were debating the issue through the lens of covenant theology.
Stephen T. Davis
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199284597
- eISBN:
- 9780191603778
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199284598.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
According to the Christian faith, the reason why certain people do not believe in God is willful unbelief, i.e., spiritual blindness. Christians hold that God is ultimate reality and that God makes ...
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According to the Christian faith, the reason why certain people do not believe in God is willful unbelief, i.e., spiritual blindness. Christians hold that God is ultimate reality and that God makes covenants with human beings. People become convinced of God’s presence through the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit, although natural theology can show that religious belief is warranted. Belief in God, even if it is based on private evidence, can be rational.Less
According to the Christian faith, the reason why certain people do not believe in God is willful unbelief, i.e., spiritual blindness. Christians hold that God is ultimate reality and that God makes covenants with human beings. People become convinced of God’s presence through the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit, although natural theology can show that religious belief is warranted. Belief in God, even if it is based on private evidence, can be rational.
Terryl C. Givens
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195167115
- eISBN:
- 9780199785599
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195167115.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Mormons believe they are an elect, covenant people. Persecution, rhetoric of chosenness, and physical isolation, all emphasize blessed distinctness. But Mormons also suffer a history and a psychology ...
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Mormons believe they are an elect, covenant people. Persecution, rhetoric of chosenness, and physical isolation, all emphasize blessed distinctness. But Mormons also suffer a history and a psychology of alienation, exclusion, and exile. Derided as unchristian and un-American, they have labored for acceptance even as they emphasize difference.Less
Mormons believe they are an elect, covenant people. Persecution, rhetoric of chosenness, and physical isolation, all emphasize blessed distinctness. But Mormons also suffer a history and a psychology of alienation, exclusion, and exile. Derided as unchristian and un-American, they have labored for acceptance even as they emphasize difference.
Robert Jackson
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199262014
- eISBN:
- 9780191601033
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199262012.003.0015
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
This chapter explores the societas of states from the broader perspective of human conduct. It defends the moral and legal foundations of the global covenant: normative pluralism, political ...
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This chapter explores the societas of states from the broader perspective of human conduct. It defends the moral and legal foundations of the global covenant: normative pluralism, political anti-paternalism, international law, and political virtue. It examines the evolutionary character of the societas of states, and discusses its historical staying power and future as a normative framework of world politics.Less
This chapter explores the societas of states from the broader perspective of human conduct. It defends the moral and legal foundations of the global covenant: normative pluralism, political anti-paternalism, international law, and political virtue. It examines the evolutionary character of the societas of states, and discusses its historical staying power and future as a normative framework of world politics.
Jonathan Burnside
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199759217
- eISBN:
- 9780199827084
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199759217.003.0002
- Subject:
- Law, Public International Law
This chapter looks at how covenants are used in the Bible and the ancient Near East and traces variations in the basic covenant formula. It considers the main turning points in the history of ...
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This chapter looks at how covenants are used in the Bible and the ancient Near East and traces variations in the basic covenant formula. It considers the main turning points in the history of covenantal relations between God and humanity, including the covenant between God and Abraham and between God and Israel at Mount Sinai, which is seen as a “vocational” covenant. It also suggests an outline of the formal, final, text of the covenant which was deposited in the Ark of the Covenant. The chapter explores key aspects of the story of Moses delivering the Ten Commandments, which has the most complicated narrative structure of any aspect of biblical law. It also considers the place of “new covenant” language in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, and the nature of these developments.Less
This chapter looks at how covenants are used in the Bible and the ancient Near East and traces variations in the basic covenant formula. It considers the main turning points in the history of covenantal relations between God and humanity, including the covenant between God and Abraham and between God and Israel at Mount Sinai, which is seen as a “vocational” covenant. It also suggests an outline of the formal, final, text of the covenant which was deposited in the Ark of the Covenant. The chapter explores key aspects of the story of Moses delivering the Ten Commandments, which has the most complicated narrative structure of any aspect of biblical law. It also considers the place of “new covenant” language in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, and the nature of these developments.
Richard Harries
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199263134
- eISBN:
- 9780191600616
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199263132.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
In recent years, there has been a debate about whether there is one covenant, with Judaism, onto which Christianity is grafted or whether there are two covenants, one with Judaism, which is primarily ...
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In recent years, there has been a debate about whether there is one covenant, with Judaism, onto which Christianity is grafted or whether there are two covenants, one with Judaism, which is primarily social, and one with Christianity, which is primarily with individuals. In fact, the primal covenant, the Noahide covenant, is with humanity, and Judaism and Christianity, like other religions, have their own distinctive voices in response to this. However formulated, it is vital for the church to overcome supersessionism, and the work of scholars such as Pawlikowski are discussed in this connection. It is argued that if we are to think of a difference between the two religions, it may be that Judaism is a religion of the Torah and Christianity is a religion of participation.Less
In recent years, there has been a debate about whether there is one covenant, with Judaism, onto which Christianity is grafted or whether there are two covenants, one with Judaism, which is primarily social, and one with Christianity, which is primarily with individuals. In fact, the primal covenant, the Noahide covenant, is with humanity, and Judaism and Christianity, like other religions, have their own distinctive voices in response to this. However formulated, it is vital for the church to overcome supersessionism, and the work of scholars such as Pawlikowski are discussed in this connection. It is argued that if we are to think of a difference between the two religions, it may be that Judaism is a religion of the Torah and Christianity is a religion of participation.
David George Mullan
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198269977
- eISBN:
- 9780191600715
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269978.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The notion of the covenant was essential to the Scottish Puritan experience. John Knox may well have imported the idea into Scotland from his prophetic interpretation of the English Reformation, and ...
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The notion of the covenant was essential to the Scottish Puritan experience. John Knox may well have imported the idea into Scotland from his prophetic interpretation of the English Reformation, and perhaps in 1557 one may see the lineaments of the first religio‐political covenant. The Negative (King's) Confession of 1581 was quickly interpreted in covenantal terms and it became the foundation of the National Covenant of 1638. But the covenant idea also developed in the context of the individual's relationship with God—increasingly interpreted in terms of federal theology—and during this period one observes the building blocks of the personal covenant, which would later in the century become a familiar component of Presbyterian piety. The National Covenant was subscribed by men across the length and breadth of the country and was often received with a revivalistic emotional outpouring.Less
The notion of the covenant was essential to the Scottish Puritan experience. John Knox may well have imported the idea into Scotland from his prophetic interpretation of the English Reformation, and perhaps in 1557 one may see the lineaments of the first religio‐political covenant. The Negative (King's) Confession of 1581 was quickly interpreted in covenantal terms and it became the foundation of the National Covenant of 1638. But the covenant idea also developed in the context of the individual's relationship with God—increasingly interpreted in terms of federal theology—and during this period one observes the building blocks of the personal covenant, which would later in the century become a familiar component of Presbyterian piety. The National Covenant was subscribed by men across the length and breadth of the country and was often received with a revivalistic emotional outpouring.
Lenn E. Goodman
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195328820
- eISBN:
- 9780199870172
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328820.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
In this expanded text of his 2005 Gifford Lectures, the well‐known philosopher Lenn Goodman details how the Torah and the rabbinic Sages flesh out the demands of the Bible's core ethical imperative: ...
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In this expanded text of his 2005 Gifford Lectures, the well‐known philosopher Lenn Goodman details how the Torah and the rabbinic Sages flesh out the demands of the Bible's core ethical imperative: Love thy neighbor as thyself. The philosophy of monotheism and the ethics of charity, justice, and love, Goodman argues, go hand in hand, informing, enlarging, and enlightening one another: The idea of God's goodness infuses every practical and intellectual facet of the Judaic moral ideal. Our ethical commitments are deepened, broadened, and intensified by our understanding of God's love; our knowledge and love of God are enriched and given effect by our moral character and ethical practices.In a special “Q&A” section, Goodman continues the dialogue begun in Glasgow, addressing questions that arose in the lectures as to the place of the mitzvot or commandments in Judaism and comparing Christian, Muslim, and secular perspectives on divine commands and human obligations.Less
In this expanded text of his 2005 Gifford Lectures, the well‐known philosopher Lenn Goodman details how the Torah and the rabbinic Sages flesh out the demands of the Bible's core ethical imperative: Love thy neighbor as thyself. The philosophy of monotheism and the ethics of charity, justice, and love, Goodman argues, go hand in hand, informing, enlarging, and enlightening one another: The idea of God's goodness infuses every practical and intellectual facet of the Judaic moral ideal. Our ethical commitments are deepened, broadened, and intensified by our understanding of God's love; our knowledge and love of God are enriched and given effect by our moral character and ethical practices.
In a special “Q&A” section, Goodman continues the dialogue begun in Glasgow, addressing questions that arose in the lectures as to the place of the mitzvot or commandments in Judaism and comparing Christian, Muslim, and secular perspectives on divine commands and human obligations.
David George Mullan
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198269977
- eISBN:
- 9780191600715
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269978.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The book makes an implicit judgement that the religious culture that emerged in Scotland at the end of the sixteenth century was widely analogous to the Puritanism that dominated the Church of ...
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The book makes an implicit judgement that the religious culture that emerged in Scotland at the end of the sixteenth century was widely analogous to the Puritanism that dominated the Church of England at the same time, though with the significant distinction that in Scotland, Presbyterianism was more successful than south of the Tweed. Scottish Puritan writers, mainly clergy, of course, and including as in England, both Presbyterians and most Episcopalians, began to produce significant amounts of practical piety around 1590, both evoking and supplying a kind of lay piety that emphasized an emotional religious content. Central to this piety was the Word, the Bible, and also the sermons and literature that divines prepared for pulpit and press—enhanced by a strong attachment to the sacraments, and particularly to the Lord's Supper. Laymen and laywomen were urged to engage in Bible reading, meditation, prayer, Sabbath observance, family devotional activities and attendance of celebrations of the Lord's Supper, even in parishes other than their own. The inner life typically included a shattering experience of conversion and a striving for a sense of assurance that God had indeed included one amongst the limited numbers of the elect. Women not less than men were the objects of pastoral concern and the feminine formed an essential part of the discourse of divinity. The notion of the covenant was linked indissolubly to this theology, though differing conceptions of covenant—national and personal—did not mesh well and thus inscribed a deep tension upon Scottish Puritanism. The author raises a question as to whether this emotional and conversion‐based piety was reconcilable with the sense of a nation in a covenantal relationship with God, and whether the National Covenant of 1638 represented a fulfilment or a betrayal of the divinity of the previous two generations during which Protestant divines had offered very little by way of resistance theory. But this outlook was quickly awakened after the prayer book riots of July 1637.Less
The book makes an implicit judgement that the religious culture that emerged in Scotland at the end of the sixteenth century was widely analogous to the Puritanism that dominated the Church of England at the same time, though with the significant distinction that in Scotland, Presbyterianism was more successful than south of the Tweed. Scottish Puritan writers, mainly clergy, of course, and including as in England, both Presbyterians and most Episcopalians, began to produce significant amounts of practical piety around 1590, both evoking and supplying a kind of lay piety that emphasized an emotional religious content. Central to this piety was the Word, the Bible, and also the sermons and literature that divines prepared for pulpit and press—enhanced by a strong attachment to the sacraments, and particularly to the Lord's Supper. Laymen and laywomen were urged to engage in Bible reading, meditation, prayer, Sabbath observance, family devotional activities and attendance of celebrations of the Lord's Supper, even in parishes other than their own. The inner life typically included a shattering experience of conversion and a striving for a sense of assurance that God had indeed included one amongst the limited numbers of the elect. Women not less than men were the objects of pastoral concern and the feminine formed an essential part of the discourse of divinity. The notion of the covenant was linked indissolubly to this theology, though differing conceptions of covenant—national and personal—did not mesh well and thus inscribed a deep tension upon Scottish Puritanism. The author raises a question as to whether this emotional and conversion‐based piety was reconcilable with the sense of a nation in a covenantal relationship with God, and whether the National Covenant of 1638 represented a fulfilment or a betrayal of the divinity of the previous two generations during which Protestant divines had offered very little by way of resistance theory. But this outlook was quickly awakened after the prayer book riots of July 1637.
Mary Douglas
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199244195
- eISBN:
- 9780191600548
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199244197.003.0012
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
When the second screen (narrative) in Leviticus has been passed the reader is standing, as it were, inside the holy of holies. This is the apotheosis of the principle of containing forms: Jerusalem ...
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When the second screen (narrative) in Leviticus has been passed the reader is standing, as it were, inside the holy of holies. This is the apotheosis of the principle of containing forms: Jerusalem is the centre of the world, in the centre of Jerusalem is the tabernacle, and in the centre of the tabernacle is the ark of the covenant. The virtual pilgrim with book in hand knows that he has arrived at this hidden place because in Leviticus 26 the Lord God proclaims his covenant no less than eight times (26: 9, 15, 25, 42 (three times), 44, 66). Another elaborate literary construction makes Leviticus 25 and 27 into a massive frame for honouring Leviticus 26, which provides the terms of the covenant itself: strict reciprocity, honourable dealings and simple fairness. This chapter looks at the great proclamation of liberty, where in the innermost, holiest part of the tabernacle, under the shadowing protective wings, the testament of the covenant lies in the coffer, or ark. It then goes on (briefly) to read Leviticus through Genesis on body covering (and the ark of the covenant as another cover), and to offer a new reading, again through Genesis, of the scapegoat ceremony (Leviticus 16) and the scapebird rites for cleansing from leprosy (Leviticus 14).Less
When the second screen (narrative) in Leviticus has been passed the reader is standing, as it were, inside the holy of holies. This is the apotheosis of the principle of containing forms: Jerusalem is the centre of the world, in the centre of Jerusalem is the tabernacle, and in the centre of the tabernacle is the ark of the covenant. The virtual pilgrim with book in hand knows that he has arrived at this hidden place because in Leviticus 26 the Lord God proclaims his covenant no less than eight times (26: 9, 15, 25, 42 (three times), 44, 66). Another elaborate literary construction makes Leviticus 25 and 27 into a massive frame for honouring Leviticus 26, which provides the terms of the covenant itself: strict reciprocity, honourable dealings and simple fairness. This chapter looks at the great proclamation of liberty, where in the innermost, holiest part of the tabernacle, under the shadowing protective wings, the testament of the covenant lies in the coffer, or ark. It then goes on (briefly) to read Leviticus through Genesis on body covering (and the ark of the covenant as another cover), and to offer a new reading, again through Genesis, of the scapegoat ceremony (Leviticus 16) and the scapebird rites for cleansing from leprosy (Leviticus 14).
Gregory A. Beeley
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195313970
- eISBN:
- 9780199871827
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195313970.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The central chapter of the book evaluates Gregory's distinctive doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's role in the work of Christian theology, focusing on the soteriological character of ...
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The central chapter of the book evaluates Gregory's distinctive doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's role in the work of Christian theology, focusing on the soteriological character of Gregory's Pneumatology in distinction from that of his Christology. It traces the development of Gregory's doctrine of the Spirit from his early episcopal sermons to the climax of his work in Constantinople and provides a new reading of the structure and argumentation of his monumental Oration 31 On the Holy Spirit, which is aimed at both the Eunomians and Pneumatomachians. At the heart of the matter is Gregory's account of the full divinity of the Spirit in light of the Bible's silence at the literal level—an argument that involves tracing the sequence of Trinitarian revelation through the covenants and the age of the Church, the direct proof of the Spirit's divinity from baptismal divinization, and Gregory's subsequent exegesis of the Spirit “according to the Spirit.” In conclusion, the chapter identifies the Spirit's central epistemic function for all theology and Gregory's literary rhetoric of piety, which frames and unifies the Theological Orations as a series.Less
The central chapter of the book evaluates Gregory's distinctive doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's role in the work of Christian theology, focusing on the soteriological character of Gregory's Pneumatology in distinction from that of his Christology. It traces the development of Gregory's doctrine of the Spirit from his early episcopal sermons to the climax of his work in Constantinople and provides a new reading of the structure and argumentation of his monumental Oration 31 On the Holy Spirit, which is aimed at both the Eunomians and Pneumatomachians. At the heart of the matter is Gregory's account of the full divinity of the Spirit in light of the Bible's silence at the literal level—an argument that involves tracing the sequence of Trinitarian revelation through the covenants and the age of the Church, the direct proof of the Spirit's divinity from baptismal divinization, and Gregory's subsequent exegesis of the Spirit “according to the Spirit.” In conclusion, the chapter identifies the Spirit's central epistemic function for all theology and Gregory's literary rhetoric of piety, which frames and unifies the Theological Orations as a series.
Stephen Spector
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195368024
- eISBN:
- 9780199867646
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195368024.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Judaism
This chapter surveys the reasons that evangelicals give for their Christian Zionism. Most prominently, they cite God’s promise in Genesis 12:3 that he will bless those who bless the Jews and curse ...
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This chapter surveys the reasons that evangelicals give for their Christian Zionism. Most prominently, they cite God’s promise in Genesis 12:3 that he will bless those who bless the Jews and curse those who curse them. They note as well that, in the Bible, God’s covenant is with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the ancestors of the Jews, not with Ishmael, the progenitor of the Arabs. They say that Israel is God’s prophetic clock: the Jews’ return to the Holy Land is the sure sign that God’s promises and prophecies are true and are coming to pass in our lifetime. Several evangelical leaders also observe that God will judge the nations at the end of time on the basis of how they treated the Jews. A number of Christian Zionists add that God mysteriously implanted in them a love for Israel and the Jewish people. Many evangelicals express gratitude to the Jews for giving them the basis of Christianity, and also remorse at the Church’s history of anti-Semitism. They join these motives to secular ones, including reliance on Israel as the frontline ally against Islamist terrorism.Less
This chapter surveys the reasons that evangelicals give for their Christian Zionism. Most prominently, they cite God’s promise in Genesis 12:3 that he will bless those who bless the Jews and curse those who curse them. They note as well that, in the Bible, God’s covenant is with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the ancestors of the Jews, not with Ishmael, the progenitor of the Arabs. They say that Israel is God’s prophetic clock: the Jews’ return to the Holy Land is the sure sign that God’s promises and prophecies are true and are coming to pass in our lifetime. Several evangelical leaders also observe that God will judge the nations at the end of time on the basis of how they treated the Jews. A number of Christian Zionists add that God mysteriously implanted in them a love for Israel and the Jewish people. Many evangelicals express gratitude to the Jews for giving them the basis of Christianity, and also remorse at the Church’s history of anti-Semitism. They join these motives to secular ones, including reliance on Israel as the frontline ally against Islamist terrorism.
Gerald O'Collins and Michael Keenan Jones
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199576456
- eISBN:
- 9780191723032
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199576456.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter sets out what the Letter to the Hebrews means by calling Christ ‘high priest’ and ‘priest according to the order of Melchizedek’. This involves, above all, a ‘once‐and‐for‐all’ sacrifice ...
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This chapter sets out what the Letter to the Hebrews means by calling Christ ‘high priest’ and ‘priest according to the order of Melchizedek’. This involves, above all, a ‘once‐and‐for‐all’ sacrifice in which he himself was the victim, and a priestly intercession which continues forever in heaven. Through assuming the human condition, being appointed by God, and living a sinless life of faith, Christ right from his birth was qualified for priestly office and so to offer sacrifice for the sins of others. Hebrews pictures this sacrifice through images drawn from the ritual performed by the Jewish high priests during worship in the Jerusalem Temple, above all on the Day of Expiation. Christ's permanent and efficacious priesthood ‘according to the order of Melchizedek’ is prior to and greater than the Levitical priesthood. His priestly work purifies human beings from sin and makes them share in a new and ‘better’ covenant, which enables them to live a sacrificial, priestly existence through praise of God and service of others.Less
This chapter sets out what the Letter to the Hebrews means by calling Christ ‘high priest’ and ‘priest according to the order of Melchizedek’. This involves, above all, a ‘once‐and‐for‐all’ sacrifice in which he himself was the victim, and a priestly intercession which continues forever in heaven. Through assuming the human condition, being appointed by God, and living a sinless life of faith, Christ right from his birth was qualified for priestly office and so to offer sacrifice for the sins of others. Hebrews pictures this sacrifice through images drawn from the ritual performed by the Jewish high priests during worship in the Jerusalem Temple, above all on the Day of Expiation. Christ's permanent and efficacious priesthood ‘according to the order of Melchizedek’ is prior to and greater than the Levitical priesthood. His priestly work purifies human beings from sin and makes them share in a new and ‘better’ covenant, which enables them to live a sacrificial, priestly existence through praise of God and service of others.
Gwynn Kessler
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195380040
- eISBN:
- 9780199869077
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195380040.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, World Religions
This chapter examines rabbinic narratives about fetuses recorded in compilations dating from the third through the tenth centuries CE. Instead of placing these traditions within the context of ...
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This chapter examines rabbinic narratives about fetuses recorded in compilations dating from the third through the tenth centuries CE. Instead of placing these traditions within the context of contemporary questions about abortion, this chapter illustrates the ways that rabbinic narratives about fetuses and traditions about the creation of the embryo provide insights into rabbinic constructions of Israel. Particular attention is paid to rabbinic traditions about prenatal Jacob and Esau, which demonstrate that the rabbis often construct Jewishness in oppositional relation to non-Jewishness.Less
This chapter examines rabbinic narratives about fetuses recorded in compilations dating from the third through the tenth centuries CE. Instead of placing these traditions within the context of contemporary questions about abortion, this chapter illustrates the ways that rabbinic narratives about fetuses and traditions about the creation of the embryo provide insights into rabbinic constructions of Israel. Particular attention is paid to rabbinic traditions about prenatal Jacob and Esau, which demonstrate that the rabbis often construct Jewishness in oppositional relation to non-Jewishness.
