Various

Judas Iscariot and the Myth of Jewish Evil by Hyam Maccoby Free Press, 213 pages, $22.95 Maccoby is noted, or notorious, for his argument, made here once again, that anti-Semitism is inherent in Christian faith. Judas Iscariot, he claims, is for Christians the demonic symbol of Judaism, which will . . . . Continue Reading »

The Democracy Reader: Classic And Modern Speeches, Essays, Poems, Declarations And Documents On Freedom And Human Rights Worldwide edited by Diane Ravitch and Abigail Thernstrom HarperCollins, 330 pages, $35 A very useful anthology of almost a hundred readings. Regrettably, the editors jump from . . . . Continue Reading »

I enjoyed very much reading the editorial “Jews, Christians, and Anti-Semitism” (March), imbued as it is with a generosity of spirit and deep faith . . . . I appreciated the clarifying statement that to care about Jews and Judaism is to care about Israel. There is no doubt in my mind . . . . Continue Reading »

The AIDS Debate Although basically an enthusiastic reader of First Things , I find the editors’ incessant bashing of the liberal straw man somewhat tedious. At times it seems that polemical zeal overtakes astute social commentary. One prime example of this [unfortunate] manner of social . . . . Continue Reading »

The Oxford Study Bible: Revised English Bible with the Apocrypha Oxford University Press, 1,623 pages, $37.95 With so many translations and study aids available, clergy and literate laity must from time to time make a decision about which edition of the Bible to adopt as their daily working . . . . Continue Reading »

Accuracy in Media? Among the first things that First Things is surely committed to are accuracy and fairness. Richard John Neuhaus’ references to my September keynote address at the Future of the American Church Conference in Washington, D.C. (The Public Square, January) fail on both counts. . . . . Continue Reading »

“Forget Not Love”: The Passion of Maximilian Kolbe by André Frossard, translated by Cendrine Fontan Ignatius Press, 199 pages, $11.95 In virtually every Catholic church in Poland today, one finds three portraits: of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, of Pope John Paul II, and of St. . . . . Continue Reading »

Jews and Christmas How does one respond to the late”and highly respected”Jakob Petuchowski’s eloquent critique of those Jews who oppose the display of religious symbols on public property (“A Rabbi’s Christmas,” December 1991)? Not easily. But let me try. The . . . . Continue Reading »

Freud’s Moses: Judaism Terminable and Interminable by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi Yale University Press, 159 pages, $25 This massively documented yet eminently readable text takes up the questions surrounding Freud’s last and conventionally derided book, Moses and Monotheism. Freud’s . . . . Continue Reading »

Desires Right & Wrong: The Ethics of Enough by Mortimer J. Adler Macmillan, 200 pages, $22.95 The indefatigible Mortimer Adler returns with vigor to the argument that Aristotle provides the basis for a truly universal and normative ethic. Almost half the book is composed of appendices from . . . . Continue Reading »