Jewish Theology and World Religions

Two of the most pervasive aspects of modern Jewish life are interaction with people of other faiths and exposure to their beliefs to a degree unknown in the past. Jewish thinking regarding other religions has not succeeded in keeping pace with the contemporary realities that regularly confront most Jews, nor has it adequately assimilated the ways in which other religions have changed their teachings about Jews and Judaism. Many Jews who grapple with Jewish tradition in the contemporary world want to know how Judaism sees today's non-Jewish other in order to affirm itself. By re-examining the Jewish tradition, they seek guidance in understanding their interfaith relationships in the light of a Jewish religious mission. Jewish Theology and World Religions advances this conversation, exploring the critical issues that Jews - and Jewish thought - face when relating to Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The book also analyzes the philosophical issues raised by pluralism, nonexclusive approaches to religious truth, and appreciating the religious other. The contributions to this volume represent a range of disciplines and denominations within Judaism and share the conviction that articulating contemporary Jewish views of other world religions is an urgent objective for Judaism. These essays show why formulating a Jewish theology of world religions is a priority for Jewish thinkers and educators concerned with reinvigorating Judaism's contribution to the contemporary world, and how it coheres with maintaining Jewish identity and continuity. *** In January 2013, this book was a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award in the category of Anthologies and Collections. *** "This volume recognizes ambiguity in the very nature of religion and that Jews' recognition of the undeniable mystical experience of others lays a foundation for further studies by the contributors. This is an indispensable title for graduate and undergraduate programs emphasizing world religions and interfaith, interreligious dialogue. Highly recommended." - Choice, March 2013 *** "Superb....breaks new ground in our understanding of other faiths from a Jewish perspective. For this contribution, theologians, halakhists, religious communal leadership, and lay readers should offer prayers of thanksgiving." - Jerome A. Chanes, Jewish Ideas Daily *** " . . . a thorough and much needed work of Orthodox interfaith theology that addresses twenty-first century Jews . . . . the contributors engage Hinduism and Buddhism on their own terms, rather than seeking to apply paradigms to them from Jewish approaches to Christianity and Islam. Of considerable consequence for Orthodox Judaism are lesser known legal and theological precedents unearthed by the contributors that offer models of tolerant, pluralistic theologies, such as that of the medieval sage Menahem Me'iri." - Daniel Ross Goodman, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 39, No. 3, September 2013Ë?