In reading this intelligent, useful, and timely book, I was reminded of the challenges I and some of my fellow students encountered back in the Vietnam era. Our intention was to get invited to various synagogues where we could present Jewish law perspectives on the morality and practice of war. The . . . . Continue Reading »
“Judaism is not even a religion.” This striking line appears in Immanuel Kant’s Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason, a book devoted to winnowing down the articles of Christian faith to what is strictly demanded by rational morality. Kant considered himself a sincere friend of . . . . Continue Reading »
A few weeks ago, I was having dinner with some friends in Texas. The group, to use an oft-abused term correctly, was diverse—Jews and Catholics and evangelicals, young and old, university professors and professional musicians, with little in common save for our shared belief that . . . . Continue Reading »
Anti-Semitism, it has often been observed, is remarkably adaptable. Across countless centuries, anti-Semites have targeted Jews because of their wealth and their poverty, their power and their frailty, their piety and their godlessness, their tribalistic chauvinism and their rootless . . . . Continue Reading »
A true daughter of Israel who loved her Christian friends and helped them make better Christian arguments in the public square, Midge now rests in the bosom of Abraham. As Elisha asked of Elijah, may we be blessed with a portion of her spirit. Continue Reading »
In his life, Rabbi Halivni was much more than an extraordinary academic. Continue Reading »
Guy MacLean Rogers joins the podcast to discuss his recent book, For the Freedom of Zion: The Great Revolt of Jews against Romans, 66–74 CE. Continue Reading »
Some of the most tactically effective defenses of religious liberty rely on appeals to theories of rights or alliances with candidates who cut against the core of your faith. These strategies can win the battle but lose the war. Continue Reading »
Rooney’s decision not to publish her books in Hebrew isn’t really about Israel or its policies at all. It’s about the meaning of culture, how it should be produced and consumed, and who and what it should serve. Continue Reading »
The Talmud relates the tragic story of an ancient Jewish sage named Elisha ben Abuyah. Initially one of his generation’s leading rabbinic luminaries, Elisha eventually became Judaism’s first unambiguous Epikoros, or theological apostate, earning the sobriquet Akher (“the . . . . Continue Reading »
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