Arie Morgenstern
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305784
- eISBN:
- 9780199784820
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305787.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Beginning in the 1820s, a symbiotic relationship prevailed between the Perushim and the Protestant missionaries active in the Land of Israel such as Joseph Wolf and the London Society for the ...
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Beginning in the 1820s, a symbiotic relationship prevailed between the Perushim and the Protestant missionaries active in the Land of Israel such as Joseph Wolf and the London Society for the Promotion of Christianity Amongst the Jews. The missionaries saw the return of the Jews to the Promised Land as essential to the messianic process; the Perushim were happy to accept economic, medical, and other forms of material aid from the missionaries, and saw gentile involvement in the rebuilding of the land as part of the messianic process as they envisioned it. At the same time, there were tensions related to the missionaries’ efforts to convert the Jews. Matters grew more complex in the 1830s when the Perushim saw the enlightened, European (read: Christian)-style reign of Muhammad Ali as displacing to a degree the role of the Christian missionaries, and Jews and Christians throughout the world began to anticipate more intensely the fateful year of 1840. The atmosphere is vividly portrayed in Lehren’s correspondence. Ties between the Perushim’s leadership and the Christian missionaries were strengthened in the wake of the terrifying Damascus blood libel in March 1840, when the missionaries turned out to be the Jews’ only allies. At the same time, the missionaries increased their efforts to proselytize, taking steps as radical as the appointment of a Jewish convert as Anglican bishop in Jerusalem. The passing of 1840 without the Messiah’s appearance produced a crisis of faith, making many Jews more vulnerable to the missionaries’ efforts. Jewish writers (such as Aviezer of Ticktin) sought to play down the crisis, offering reasons for the Messiah’s delay.Less
Beginning in the 1820s, a symbiotic relationship prevailed between the Perushim and the Protestant missionaries active in the Land of Israel such as Joseph Wolf and the London Society for the Promotion of Christianity Amongst the Jews. The missionaries saw the return of the Jews to the Promised Land as essential to the messianic process; the Perushim were happy to accept economic, medical, and other forms of material aid from the missionaries, and saw gentile involvement in the rebuilding of the land as part of the messianic process as they envisioned it. At the same time, there were tensions related to the missionaries’ efforts to convert the Jews. Matters grew more complex in the 1830s when the Perushim saw the enlightened, European (read: Christian)-style reign of Muhammad Ali as displacing to a degree the role of the Christian missionaries, and Jews and Christians throughout the world began to anticipate more intensely the fateful year of 1840. The atmosphere is vividly portrayed in Lehren’s correspondence. Ties between the Perushim’s leadership and the Christian missionaries were strengthened in the wake of the terrifying Damascus blood libel in March 1840, when the missionaries turned out to be the Jews’ only allies. At the same time, the missionaries increased their efforts to proselytize, taking steps as radical as the appointment of a Jewish convert as Anglican bishop in Jerusalem. The passing of 1840 without the Messiah’s appearance produced a crisis of faith, making many Jews more vulnerable to the missionaries’ efforts. Jewish writers (such as Aviezer of Ticktin) sought to play down the crisis, offering reasons for the Messiah’s delay.
Arie Morgenstern
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305784
- eISBN:
- 9780199784820
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305787.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
To deal with the post-1840 crisis of belief, Jewish leaders sought to limit the at-risk masses’ contacts with the Christian missionaries and to bolster and renew their faith in Judaism. They also ...
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To deal with the post-1840 crisis of belief, Jewish leaders sought to limit the at-risk masses’ contacts with the Christian missionaries and to bolster and renew their faith in Judaism. They also tried, by various arguments, to defer the expected appearance to 5606 (1846) or some later date. There ensued a retreat from the Perushim’s messianic activism, and some argued that the Messiah’s failure to appear was punishment for that activism. Aviezer of Ticktin and Zevi Hirsch Lehren forcefully advocated that position, and Lehren saw the Damascus blood libel in that light as well. The leadership of the Perushim, however, took the view that 5600 heralded the beginning of the messianic era, which would unfold gradually, and they continued their efforts despite the new difficulties. By 1846, more Perushim changed their views, and some of the new leaders retreated from the activist stance and reverted to the traditional view that repentance, study, and spiritual activity were the mechanisms through which the Messiah might be brought. Concern for the future of the Jewish community in the Land of Israel and its economic infrastructure and productivity gave way to concern for survival in the present through fundraising among Jews in Europe; fundraising organizations proliferated. The new byword of the Perushim’s leadership became “Unless God builds the house, its builders labor on it in vain”, and reverted to the view that the only legitimate position within traditional Judaism was the belief in miraculous redemption. Some grandchildren of the earlier leaders of the Perushim (Joseph Rivlin and Joel Moses Solomon) were among the initiators of the construction of Jewish neighborhoods outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The new leaders of the Perushim did not support their efforts and sought to suppress the history of their predecessors’ messianic activism.Less
To deal with the post-1840 crisis of belief, Jewish leaders sought to limit the at-risk masses’ contacts with the Christian missionaries and to bolster and renew their faith in Judaism. They also tried, by various arguments, to defer the expected appearance to 5606 (1846) or some later date. There ensued a retreat from the Perushim’s messianic activism, and some argued that the Messiah’s failure to appear was punishment for that activism. Aviezer of Ticktin and Zevi Hirsch Lehren forcefully advocated that position, and Lehren saw the Damascus blood libel in that light as well. The leadership of the Perushim, however, took the view that 5600 heralded the beginning of the messianic era, which would unfold gradually, and they continued their efforts despite the new difficulties. By 1846, more Perushim changed their views, and some of the new leaders retreated from the activist stance and reverted to the traditional view that repentance, study, and spiritual activity were the mechanisms through which the Messiah might be brought. Concern for the future of the Jewish community in the Land of Israel and its economic infrastructure and productivity gave way to concern for survival in the present through fundraising among Jews in Europe; fundraising organizations proliferated. The new byword of the Perushim’s leadership became “Unless God builds the house, its builders labor on it in vain”, and reverted to the view that the only legitimate position within traditional Judaism was the belief in miraculous redemption. Some grandchildren of the earlier leaders of the Perushim (Joseph Rivlin and Joel Moses Solomon) were among the initiators of the construction of Jewish neighborhoods outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The new leaders of the Perushim did not support their efforts and sought to suppress the history of their predecessors’ messianic activism.
Russell Samolsky
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780823234790
- eISBN:
- 9780823241248
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823234790.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century and Contemporary Literature
This book sets out to articulate a new theory and textual practice of the relation between literary reception and embodiment by arguing that certain modern literary texts have apocalyptic futures. ...
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This book sets out to articulate a new theory and textual practice of the relation between literary reception and embodiment by arguing that certain modern literary texts have apocalyptic futures. Rather than claim that great writers have clairvoyant powers, it examines the ways in which a text incorporates an apocalyptic event—and marked or mutilated bodies—into its future reception. The book is thus concerned with the way in which apocalyptic works solicit their future receptions. Deploying the double register of “marks” to show how a text both codes and targets mutilated bodies, the book focuses on how these bodies are incorporated into texts by Kafka, Conrad, Coetzee, and Spiegelman. Situating “In the Penal Colony” in relation to the Holocaust, Heart of Darkness to the Rwandan genocide, and Waiting for the Barbarians to the revelations of torture in apartheid South Africa and contemporary Iraq, it argues for the ethical and political importance of reading these literary works' “apocalyptic futures” in our own urgent and perilous situations. The book concludes with a reading of Spiegelman's Maus that offers a messianic counter-time to the law of apocalyptic incorporation.Less
This book sets out to articulate a new theory and textual practice of the relation between literary reception and embodiment by arguing that certain modern literary texts have apocalyptic futures. Rather than claim that great writers have clairvoyant powers, it examines the ways in which a text incorporates an apocalyptic event—and marked or mutilated bodies—into its future reception. The book is thus concerned with the way in which apocalyptic works solicit their future receptions. Deploying the double register of “marks” to show how a text both codes and targets mutilated bodies, the book focuses on how these bodies are incorporated into texts by Kafka, Conrad, Coetzee, and Spiegelman. Situating “In the Penal Colony” in relation to the Holocaust, Heart of Darkness to the Rwandan genocide, and Waiting for the Barbarians to the revelations of torture in apartheid South Africa and contemporary Iraq, it argues for the ethical and political importance of reading these literary works' “apocalyptic futures” in our own urgent and perilous situations. The book concludes with a reading of Spiegelman's Maus that offers a messianic counter-time to the law of apocalyptic incorporation.
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/9780195368024.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Judaism
For Christian Zionists, the conflict between Israel and its Arab and Muslim neighbors is even more than a clash of civilizations. It is a contest between God and Allah. Several of the most prominent ...
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For Christian Zionists, the conflict between Israel and its Arab and Muslim neighbors is even more than a clash of civilizations. It is a contest between God and Allah. Several of the most prominent American evangelicals have denounced not just Islamic radicals but Islam itself and the prophet Mohammed. Many born-again leaders stress brutality as a defining quality of Islam. They consider the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians to be a struggle over whether the word of God is true. Many Christian Zionists believe that the devil created anti-Semitism in order to frustrate God’s plan to save the world through the Jews. They declare that Muslims have become Satan’s army in this ancient struggle. By 2006, Ahmadinejad had become a central villain to Christian Zionists, who repeatedly pointed out the messianic underpinnings of his actions. The charge that mainstream Islam is inherently violent is a distortion, note prominent scholars of religion and other observers. Some conservative Christians are not hostile to Muslims, but rather engage in dialogue with Muslim leaders and recognize the perspectives that they share. Some evangelicals argue that to bless Israel can mean rejecting the idea of a Greater Israel that includes the occupied territories.Less
For Christian Zionists, the conflict between Israel and its Arab and Muslim neighbors is even more than a clash of civilizations. It is a contest between God and Allah. Several of the most prominent American evangelicals have denounced not just Islamic radicals but Islam itself and the prophet Mohammed. Many born-again leaders stress brutality as a defining quality of Islam. They consider the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians to be a struggle over whether the word of God is true. Many Christian Zionists believe that the devil created anti-Semitism in order to frustrate God’s plan to save the world through the Jews. They declare that Muslims have become Satan’s army in this ancient struggle. By 2006, Ahmadinejad had become a central villain to Christian Zionists, who repeatedly pointed out the messianic underpinnings of his actions. The charge that mainstream Islam is inherently violent is a distortion, note prominent scholars of religion and other observers. Some conservative Christians are not hostile to Muslims, but rather engage in dialogue with Muslim leaders and recognize the perspectives that they share. Some evangelicals argue that to bless Israel can mean rejecting the idea of a Greater Israel that includes the occupied territories.
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/9780195368024.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Judaism
This chapter addresses criticisms of Christian Zionism. There are four principal charges: First, that evangelical Christians support aliyah (Jewish emigration to Israel) mainly because it speeds the ...
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This chapter addresses criticisms of Christian Zionism. There are four principal charges: First, that evangelical Christians support aliyah (Jewish emigration to Israel) mainly because it speeds the battle of Armageddon, the mass conversion or death of the Jews, and Christ’s Millennial kingdom. Second, that evangelicals’ true motive is to convert the Jews. Third, that Christian Zionist theology distorts Christianity: that it misunderstands biblical covenants and ignores the scriptural emphasis on doing justice, relieving suffering, and showing compassion to the oppressed, who, in this view, are the Palestinians. The fourth major criticism is that the evangelical Zionists’ biblical worldview allies them with extreme right-wing Israeli politicians in opposing any exchange of land for peace. The chapter discusses efforts to evangelize Jews, and notes the beliefs of Messianic Jews. It examines the claim by some evangelicals that Christians are the heirs to God’s promises to Israel; that the covenantal promises to the Jews are conditional; and that modern Israel is not the fulfillment of prophecy. The chapter notes the role of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in opposing Christian Zionism and Israeli policies. It also considers the limits on empathy toward the other in this conflict.Less
This chapter addresses criticisms of Christian Zionism. There are four principal charges: First, that evangelical Christians support aliyah (Jewish emigration to Israel) mainly because it speeds the battle of Armageddon, the mass conversion or death of the Jews, and Christ’s Millennial kingdom. Second, that evangelicals’ true motive is to convert the Jews. Third, that Christian Zionist theology distorts Christianity: that it misunderstands biblical covenants and ignores the scriptural emphasis on doing justice, relieving suffering, and showing compassion to the oppressed, who, in this view, are the Palestinians. The fourth major criticism is that the evangelical Zionists’ biblical worldview allies them with extreme right-wing Israeli politicians in opposing any exchange of land for peace. The chapter discusses efforts to evangelize Jews, and notes the beliefs of Messianic Jews. It examines the claim by some evangelicals that Christians are the heirs to God’s promises to Israel; that the covenantal promises to the Jews are conditional; and that modern Israel is not the fulfillment of prophecy. The chapter notes the role of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in opposing Christian Zionism and Israeli policies. It also considers the limits on empathy toward the other in this conflict.
Ada Rapoport-Albert
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781906764807
- eISBN:
- 9781800343269
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781906764807.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Women are conspicuously absent from the Jewish mystical tradition. The chance survival of scant evidence suggests that, at various times and places, individual Jewish women did pursue the path of ...
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Women are conspicuously absent from the Jewish mystical tradition. The chance survival of scant evidence suggests that, at various times and places, individual Jewish women did pursue the path of mystical piety or prophetic spirituality, but it appears that they were generally censured, and efforts were made to suppress their activities. This contrasts sharply with the fully acknowledged prominence of women in the mystical traditions of both Christianity and Islam. It is against this background that the mystical messianic movement centred on the personality of Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676) stands out as a unique and remarkable exception. Sabbatai Zevi addressed to women a highly original liberationist message, proclaiming that he had come to make them 'as happy as men' by releasing them from the pangs of childbirth and the subjugation to their husbands that were ordained for women as a consequence of the primordial sin. This redemptive vision became an integral part of Sabbatian eschatology, which the messianists believed to be unfolding and experienced in the present. Their New Law overturned the traditional halakhic norms that distinguished and regulated relations between the sexes. This book traces the diverse manifestations of this vision in every phase of Sabbatianism and its offshoots. These include the early promotion of women to centre-stage as messianic prophetesses; their independent affiliation with the movement in their own right; their initiation in the esoteric teachings of the kabbalah; and their full incorporation, on a par with men, into the ritual and devotional life of the messianic community.Less
Women are conspicuously absent from the Jewish mystical tradition. The chance survival of scant evidence suggests that, at various times and places, individual Jewish women did pursue the path of mystical piety or prophetic spirituality, but it appears that they were generally censured, and efforts were made to suppress their activities. This contrasts sharply with the fully acknowledged prominence of women in the mystical traditions of both Christianity and Islam. It is against this background that the mystical messianic movement centred on the personality of Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676) stands out as a unique and remarkable exception. Sabbatai Zevi addressed to women a highly original liberationist message, proclaiming that he had come to make them 'as happy as men' by releasing them from the pangs of childbirth and the subjugation to their husbands that were ordained for women as a consequence of the primordial sin. This redemptive vision became an integral part of Sabbatian eschatology, which the messianists believed to be unfolding and experienced in the present. Their New Law overturned the traditional halakhic norms that distinguished and regulated relations between the sexes. This book traces the diverse manifestations of this vision in every phase of Sabbatianism and its offshoots. These include the early promotion of women to centre-stage as messianic prophetesses; their independent affiliation with the movement in their own right; their initiation in the esoteric teachings of the kabbalah; and their full incorporation, on a par with men, into the ritual and devotional life of the messianic community.
Peter van der Veer
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691128146
- eISBN:
- 9781400848553
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691128146.003.0005
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology
This chapter addresses the question of “popular religion” and the relation between religion and magic in India and China. The categories of popular belief, superstition, and magic have been used by ...
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This chapter addresses the question of “popular religion” and the relation between religion and magic in India and China. The categories of popular belief, superstition, and magic have been used by modernizers in India and China to intervene in people's daily practices and remove obstacles to the total transformation of their communities. These attempts have developed in different ways in India and China, but in neither case have they been entirely successful. After a historical discussion of heterodoxy, messianic movements, and political protest, the chapter delineates the transformation of popular religion in India and China under the influence of liberalization of the economy and globalization.Less
This chapter addresses the question of “popular religion” and the relation between religion and magic in India and China. The categories of popular belief, superstition, and magic have been used by modernizers in India and China to intervene in people's daily practices and remove obstacles to the total transformation of their communities. These attempts have developed in different ways in India and China, but in neither case have they been entirely successful. After a historical discussion of heterodoxy, messianic movements, and political protest, the chapter delineates the transformation of popular religion in India and China under the influence of liberalization of the economy and globalization.
Byron L. Sherwin
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195336238
- eISBN:
- 9780199868520
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336238.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
For Judaism, ours is an unredeemed, pre-messianic world. This chapter focuses upon how hope, faith, and sacred deeds offer human beings an opportunity and a challenge to help move the world toward ...
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For Judaism, ours is an unredeemed, pre-messianic world. This chapter focuses upon how hope, faith, and sacred deeds offer human beings an opportunity and a challenge to help move the world toward messianic redemption. Various views of the human role in the messianic process, including the kabbalistic notion of tikkun — “repair,” are examined, as are various forms of redemption such as individual, collective, and cosmic redemption. Further ideas of Jewish eschatology, such as the afterlife, are also presented.Less
For Judaism, ours is an unredeemed, pre-messianic world. This chapter focuses upon how hope, faith, and sacred deeds offer human beings an opportunity and a challenge to help move the world toward messianic redemption. Various views of the human role in the messianic process, including the kabbalistic notion of tikkun — “repair,” are examined, as are various forms of redemption such as individual, collective, and cosmic redemption. Further ideas of Jewish eschatology, such as the afterlife, are also presented.
Lewis V. Baldwin
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195380316
- eISBN:
- 9780199869299
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195380316.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The content of this chapter unfolds along several lines of discussion. First, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s sense of the entire history of the black church and how that institution had functioned in ...
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The content of this chapter unfolds along several lines of discussion. First, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s sense of the entire history of the black church and how that institution had functioned in African American life and culture up to his time is discussed. Early images of the church as refuge, as comprehensive community, as exodus and exilic community, as chosen people, as unbroken tradition, as suffering servant, as messianic instrument, as counterculture, and as critic and transformer of culture are seriously considered. Second, King’s portrait of the civil rights movement as church-based and church-centered is stressed, with special attention to his view of the black church as “movement headquarters.” The chapter closes with reflections on King’s conflicts with other black leaders, especially conservatives and nationalists, over the meaning and proper role of the church in the personal and social lives of African Americans.Less
The content of this chapter unfolds along several lines of discussion. First, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s sense of the entire history of the black church and how that institution had functioned in African American life and culture up to his time is discussed. Early images of the church as refuge, as comprehensive community, as exodus and exilic community, as chosen people, as unbroken tradition, as suffering servant, as messianic instrument, as counterculture, and as critic and transformer of culture are seriously considered. Second, King’s portrait of the civil rights movement as church-based and church-centered is stressed, with special attention to his view of the black church as “movement headquarters.” The chapter closes with reflections on King’s conflicts with other black leaders, especially conservatives and nationalists, over the meaning and proper role of the church in the personal and social lives of African Americans.
P. Travis Kroeker
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199566624
- eISBN:
- 9780191722042
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199566624.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Religion and Society
This chapter argues that most forms of political liberalism — including those of theorists such as Jeffrey Stout who are receptive to the consideration of religious reasons and theological ethical ...
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This chapter argues that most forms of political liberalism — including those of theorists such as Jeffrey Stout who are receptive to the consideration of religious reasons and theological ethical contributions in a secular democracy — prohibit serious discussion of the religious cosmologies underlying religious ethical discourse. In particular, it is argued that secular state sovereignty rooted in Hobbesian political theory effectively eliminates all forms of messianic political theology from public consideration. The chapter goes on to argue that a messianic ethics engages secular pluralism critically in a public stance that is neither accommodationist nor separatist, but ‘diasporic’. It acts ethically from a ‘weak Messianic’ power (Benjamin) exercised not through the coercive enforcement of political ideals but in quotidian acts of community service that build up the well-being of the saeculum from below.Less
This chapter argues that most forms of political liberalism — including those of theorists such as Jeffrey Stout who are receptive to the consideration of religious reasons and theological ethical contributions in a secular democracy — prohibit serious discussion of the religious cosmologies underlying religious ethical discourse. In particular, it is argued that secular state sovereignty rooted in Hobbesian political theory effectively eliminates all forms of messianic political theology from public consideration. The chapter goes on to argue that a messianic ethics engages secular pluralism critically in a public stance that is neither accommodationist nor separatist, but ‘diasporic’. It acts ethically from a ‘weak Messianic’ power (Benjamin) exercised not through the coercive enforcement of political ideals but in quotidian acts of community service that build up the well-being of the saeculum from below.
Israel Knohl
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520215924
- eISBN:
- 9780520928749
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520215924.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
In a work that challenges notions that have dominated New Testament scholarship for more than a hundred years, this book gives startling evidence for a messianic precursor to Jesus who is described ...
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In a work that challenges notions that have dominated New Testament scholarship for more than a hundred years, this book gives startling evidence for a messianic precursor to Jesus who is described as the “Suffering Servant” in recently published fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The book clarifies many formerly incomprehensible aspects of Jesus' life and confirms the story in the New Testament about his messianic awareness. The book shows that, around the time of Jesus' birth, there came into being a conception of “catastrophic” messianism in which the suffering, humiliation, and death of the messiah were regarded as an integral part of the redemptive process. Scholars have long argued that Jesus could not have foreseen his suffering, death, and resurrection because the concept of a slain savior who rises from the dead was alien to the Judaism of his time. But, on the basis of hymns found at Qumran among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the book argues that, one generation before Jesus, a messianic leader arose in the Qumran sect who was regarded by his followers as ushering in an era of redemption and forgiveness. This messianic leader was killed by Roman soldiers in the course of a revolt that broke out in Jerusalem in 4 bce. The Romans forbade his body to be buried and after the third day his disciples believed that he was resurrected and rose to heaven. The book argues that this formed the basis for Jesus' messianic consciousness; it was because of this model that Jesus anticipated he would suffer, die, and be resurrected after three days.Less
In a work that challenges notions that have dominated New Testament scholarship for more than a hundred years, this book gives startling evidence for a messianic precursor to Jesus who is described as the “Suffering Servant” in recently published fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The book clarifies many formerly incomprehensible aspects of Jesus' life and confirms the story in the New Testament about his messianic awareness. The book shows that, around the time of Jesus' birth, there came into being a conception of “catastrophic” messianism in which the suffering, humiliation, and death of the messiah were regarded as an integral part of the redemptive process. Scholars have long argued that Jesus could not have foreseen his suffering, death, and resurrection because the concept of a slain savior who rises from the dead was alien to the Judaism of his time. But, on the basis of hymns found at Qumran among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the book argues that, one generation before Jesus, a messianic leader arose in the Qumran sect who was regarded by his followers as ushering in an era of redemption and forgiveness. This messianic leader was killed by Roman soldiers in the course of a revolt that broke out in Jerusalem in 4 bce. The Romans forbade his body to be buried and after the third day his disciples believed that he was resurrected and rose to heaven. The book argues that this formed the basis for Jesus' messianic consciousness; it was because of this model that Jesus anticipated he would suffer, die, and be resurrected after three days.
Gerard O'Daly
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199263950
- eISBN:
- 9780191741364
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199263950.003.0013
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter discusses the themes of the poem: the Christmas star; the Magi and the symbolism of their gifts; the fulfilment of Messianic prophecies; Herod and the slaughter of the Innocents; Moses ...
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This chapter discusses the themes of the poem: the Christmas star; the Magi and the symbolism of their gifts; the fulfilment of Messianic prophecies; Herod and the slaughter of the Innocents; Moses and Joshua as prefigurations or types of Christ; Christ the king and ruler, liberating humanity from death; and the poem as a post-Ambrosian hymn.Less
This chapter discusses the themes of the poem: the Christmas star; the Magi and the symbolism of their gifts; the fulfilment of Messianic prophecies; Herod and the slaughter of the Innocents; Moses and Joshua as prefigurations or types of Christ; Christ the king and ruler, liberating humanity from death; and the poem as a post-Ambrosian hymn.
Sean M. McDonough
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199576470
- eISBN:
- 9780191722585
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199576470.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Hebrews makes an important contribution to the understanding of Christ's role in creation. Despite its Hellenistic flavor, the epistle provides the clearest evidence in the New Testament that the ...
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Hebrews makes an important contribution to the understanding of Christ's role in creation. Despite its Hellenistic flavor, the epistle provides the clearest evidence in the New Testament that the doctrine of Jesus' agency of creation was seen as a direct consequence of his messianic status. The catena of quotations in chapter 1 draws heavily on classic messianic texts, and the remainder of the book illuminates Christ's priestly and covenantal work in light of the messianic psalms. As in Colossians, the creation motif serves primarily to reinforce the unquestionable superiority of Christ, though in Hebrews the emphasis lies on Christ as the definitive Word of God more than as the definitive ruler on God's behalf (though this is not of course excluded).Less
Hebrews makes an important contribution to the understanding of Christ's role in creation. Despite its Hellenistic flavor, the epistle provides the clearest evidence in the New Testament that the doctrine of Jesus' agency of creation was seen as a direct consequence of his messianic status. The catena of quotations in chapter 1 draws heavily on classic messianic texts, and the remainder of the book illuminates Christ's priestly and covenantal work in light of the messianic psalms. As in Colossians, the creation motif serves primarily to reinforce the unquestionable superiority of Christ, though in Hebrews the emphasis lies on Christ as the definitive Word of God more than as the definitive ruler on God's behalf (though this is not of course excluded).
Frank Graziano
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195124323
- eISBN:
- 9780199784561
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195124324.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The opening chapter of this book defines millennialism in its broadest sense, encompassing apocalypticism, messianism, and utopia. The subsequent chapters explore a wide range of colonial and modern ...
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The opening chapter of this book defines millennialism in its broadest sense, encompassing apocalypticism, messianism, and utopia. The subsequent chapters explore a wide range of colonial and modern movements, myths, and ideologies. as they pursue millennial themes through Latin American history. The study of Spanish messianic imperialism and perceptions of the New World as Eden and New Jerusalem provide European precedents. Extensive treatment of nativist and syncretic millennialism includes the Land-without-Evil, Taqui Onqoy, the Tzeltal Rebellion, the Caste War of the Yucatan, and the myths of Inkarrí and Quetzalcóatl, among many others. End-of-the-world sects and their messiahs are also considered, as are utopian communities, Pentecostalism, Liberation Theology, military messianism, and popular Catholicism. The discussion further encompasses the secular millennialism of revolutionaries and populists, including such figures as Lope de Aguirre, Túpac Amaru, Simón Bolívar, Augusto César Sandino, Juan and Evita Perón, Che Guevara, and Shining Path’s Abimael Guzmán.Less
The opening chapter of this book defines millennialism in its broadest sense, encompassing apocalypticism, messianism, and utopia. The subsequent chapters explore a wide range of colonial and modern movements, myths, and ideologies. as they pursue millennial themes through Latin American history. The study of Spanish messianic imperialism and perceptions of the New World as Eden and New Jerusalem provide European precedents. Extensive treatment of nativist and syncretic millennialism includes the Land-without-Evil, Taqui Onqoy, the Tzeltal Rebellion, the Caste War of the Yucatan, and the myths of Inkarrí and Quetzalcóatl, among many others. End-of-the-world sects and their messiahs are also considered, as are utopian communities, Pentecostalism, Liberation Theology, military messianism, and popular Catholicism. The discussion further encompasses the secular millennialism of revolutionaries and populists, including such figures as Lope de Aguirre, Túpac Amaru, Simón Bolívar, Augusto César Sandino, Juan and Evita Perón, Che Guevara, and Shining Path’s Abimael Guzmán.
Renee Levine Melammed
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195170719
- eISBN:
- 9780199835416
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195170717.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
The rationale for the expulsion of the Jews from Spain was ostensibly because they exerted a negative influence on the baptized conversos. In truth, Jewish-converso relations during the fifteenth ...
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The rationale for the expulsion of the Jews from Spain was ostensibly because they exerted a negative influence on the baptized conversos. In truth, Jewish-converso relations during the fifteenth century were extremely complicated. In 1492, the reluctance of so many Jews to abandon their homeland led them to choose baptism, creating a new group of New Christians far more knowledgeable about Judaism than the descendants of the conversos of 1391. At the same time, some of the Jews who chose exile subsequently regretted their decision; those who opted for baptism between 1492 and 1499 formed a group of returnees. At the turn of the century, a Judaizing messianic movement transpired in Spain that resulted in increased inquisitorial activity.Less
The rationale for the expulsion of the Jews from Spain was ostensibly because they exerted a negative influence on the baptized conversos. In truth, Jewish-converso relations during the fifteenth century were extremely complicated. In 1492, the reluctance of so many Jews to abandon their homeland led them to choose baptism, creating a new group of New Christians far more knowledgeable about Judaism than the descendants of the conversos of 1391. At the same time, some of the Jews who chose exile subsequently regretted their decision; those who opted for baptism between 1492 and 1499 formed a group of returnees. At the turn of the century, a Judaizing messianic movement transpired in Spain that resulted in increased inquisitorial activity.
Richard Harries
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199263134
- eISBN:
- 9780191600616
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199263132.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Mission is fundamental to the life of the Christian church and there has been much controversy in recent decades about whether Christians should continue to try to convert Jews. Christianity needs to ...
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Mission is fundamental to the life of the Christian church and there has been much controversy in recent decades about whether Christians should continue to try to convert Jews. Christianity needs to create a new relationship with Judaism and dialogue offers an appropriate expression of this. The role of Messianic Jews is particularly controversial. Jewish Christians have brought many gifts to the church, but a Christian prayer for Jews should primarily be one of thankfulness.Less
Mission is fundamental to the life of the Christian church and there has been much controversy in recent decades about whether Christians should continue to try to convert Jews. Christianity needs to create a new relationship with Judaism and dialogue offers an appropriate expression of this. The role of Messianic Jews is particularly controversial. Jewish Christians have brought many gifts to the church, but a Christian prayer for Jews should primarily be one of thankfulness.
Richard Harries
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199263134
- eISBN:
- 9780191600616
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199263132.003.0012
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Jews and Christians have a shared hope and a common task. That hope has been interpreted in different ways in both religions: as the coming of the kingdom of God on earth and as a hope of life in the ...
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Jews and Christians have a shared hope and a common task. That hope has been interpreted in different ways in both religions: as the coming of the kingdom of God on earth and as a hope of life in the hereafter, beyond space and time. Hope of a coming messiah and a messianic age remain part of mainstream Judaism. Both religions today, however, would emphasize that the priority is not so much to interpret the world as to change it. There is a common task that in Judaism has sometimes been called ‘repairing’ or ‘healing the world’ (Tikkun Olam).Less
Jews and Christians have a shared hope and a common task. That hope has been interpreted in different ways in both religions: as the coming of the kingdom of God on earth and as a hope of life in the hereafter, beyond space and time. Hope of a coming messiah and a messianic age remain part of mainstream Judaism. Both religions today, however, would emphasize that the priority is not so much to interpret the world as to change it. There is a common task that in Judaism has sometimes been called ‘repairing’ or ‘healing the world’ (Tikkun Olam).
Frank Graziano
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195124323
- eISBN:
- 9780199784561
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195124324.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter defines the key terms millennial, millennialism, messianism, messiah, apocalypse, apocalyptic, and apocalypticism, then provides an overview of the attributes of millennial thought and ...
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This chapter defines the key terms millennial, millennialism, messianism, messiah, apocalypse, apocalyptic, and apocalypticism, then provides an overview of the attributes of millennial thought and action. The overview introduces such themes as messianic responses to social crisis, charisma, legitimacy, fragmentation and unification, ritual and symbolic violence, symbolic inversion, and polarization.Less
This chapter defines the key terms millennial, millennialism, messianism, messiah, apocalypse, apocalyptic, and apocalypticism, then provides an overview of the attributes of millennial thought and action. The overview introduces such themes as messianic responses to social crisis, charisma, legitimacy, fragmentation and unification, ritual and symbolic violence, symbolic inversion, and polarization.
Victor Nuovo
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199227044
- eISBN:
- 9780191739309
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199227044.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
Locke asserts that the Bible is an infallible source of divine revelation, and that human reason has the capability of establishing its authenticity and determining its meaning. But he apparently ...
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Locke asserts that the Bible is an infallible source of divine revelation, and that human reason has the capability of establishing its authenticity and determining its meaning. But he apparently fails to justify these claims anywhere in his writings, notwithstanding his awareness of serious challenges to biblical authority. This incongruity can be resolved. Locke did offer a proof of the authenticity of the Bible, but it has gone unnoticed because of its form and character. Analogous to natural theological arguments founded on evidence in nature of divine wisdom and power and goodness, his proof is cumulative and scattered among his writings. A principal source is a work by Faustus Socinus, known to Locke. The form of the argument, its strategy, and its occurrence in Locke’s writings are presented in the remaining part of the chapter.Less
Locke asserts that the Bible is an infallible source of divine revelation, and that human reason has the capability of establishing its authenticity and determining its meaning. But he apparently fails to justify these claims anywhere in his writings, notwithstanding his awareness of serious challenges to biblical authority. This incongruity can be resolved. Locke did offer a proof of the authenticity of the Bible, but it has gone unnoticed because of its form and character. Analogous to natural theological arguments founded on evidence in nature of divine wisdom and power and goodness, his proof is cumulative and scattered among his writings. A principal source is a work by Faustus Socinus, known to Locke. The form of the argument, its strategy, and its occurrence in Locke’s writings are presented in the remaining part of the chapter.
David Cook
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199755042
- eISBN:
- 9780199950508
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199755042.003.0018
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Contemporary radical Muslim groups seeking to overthrow what they perceive as fundamentally unjust regimes in order to establish a shari‘a state use messianic language in their pronouncements. These ...
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Contemporary radical Muslim groups seeking to overthrow what they perceive as fundamentally unjust regimes in order to establish a shari‘a state use messianic language in their pronouncements. These pronouncements at the same time feed off the well-known beliefs of both Christian evangelicals (frequently in the news, and often translated into Arabic) as well as Jewish messianic groups, demonizing them in order to create a coherent and plausible enemy. In the short term, radical Muslim groups often see themselves as actually fulfilling the predictions of end-time warfare described in the seventh- and eighth-century tradition literature, after some reinterpretation. Part of the radical message therefore is an attempt to gain legitimacy through such fulfillment of prophecy, as well as holding out the messianic state as an idealized future in order to gain support.Less
Contemporary radical Muslim groups seeking to overthrow what they perceive as fundamentally unjust regimes in order to establish a shari‘a state use messianic language in their pronouncements. These pronouncements at the same time feed off the well-known beliefs of both Christian evangelicals (frequently in the news, and often translated into Arabic) as well as Jewish messianic groups, demonizing them in order to create a coherent and plausible enemy. In the short term, radical Muslim groups often see themselves as actually fulfilling the predictions of end-time warfare described in the seventh- and eighth-century tradition literature, after some reinterpretation. Part of the radical message therefore is an attempt to gain legitimacy through such fulfillment of prophecy, as well as holding out the messianic state as an idealized future in order to gain support.
