Our Fight Has Just Begun
This week's review examines generations of racial violence against the Navajo, unpacking the persistence of systemic racism and hidden stories of Indigenous activism.
Posted on in Review of the Week
A History of Judaism
Happy Hanukkah! This week's review looks back at the history of Judaism
Posted on November 29, 2021 in Review of the Week
A History of Judaism
Goodman, Martin. Princeton, 2018
623p bibl index, 9780691181271 $39.95, 9781400890019
Goodman (Jewish studies, Univ. of Oxford, UK) has produced a magnificent, well-researched history of Judaism from the Second Temple period into the present. He has, interestingly and uniquely, chosen to tell the early part of this history through a sophisticated reading of the first-century Jewish historian Josephus, incorporating other sources where necessary and appropriate. For later periods, Goodman utilizes a broad range of both primary and secondary sources. He writes clearly and engagingly, guiding readers through key moments in the development of Judaism. He also provides a detailed literary portrait of many key figures involved in this history (Maimonides, the Baal Shem Tov, Abraham Geiger, and many more). A significant theme running throughout is how Judaism was shaped by surrounding cultures, such as Hellenistic influence in the later Second Temple period, Islamic influence in the early Middle Ages, and Christian influence in later periods in Europe. Scholars of Judaism will certainly find minor details in this presentation with which to quibble, but most will acknowledge that this volume is a valuable contribution to the field of Jewish studies.
Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers.
Reviewer: J. M. Bos, University of Mississippi
Interdisciplinary Subjects: Middle Eastern Studies
Subject: Humanities – Religion
Choice Issue: Sep 2018
Enjoy this week’s review? Check out more reviews of related titles:
- Rediscovering the Islamic Classics: How Editors and Print Culture Transformed an Intellectual Tradition
- The Meaning of Life and Death: Ten Classic Thinkers on the Ultimate Question
- Luminous Art: Hanukkah Menorahs of the Jewish Museum
- Religion, Law, USA
- Hanukkah in America: A History
Related Posts
-
-
Soccer in American Culture
Watching the World Cup this Thanksgiving? To celebrate, this week's review examines the origins and growing popularity of soccer in the US.
Posted on in Review of the Week
-
The Writer’s Crusade
This week's review examines Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, providing a literary critique of the novel through the lens of Vonnegut's PTSD as a combat-veteran
Posted on in Review of the Week
-
As Long as the Earth Endures
To commemorate Native American Heritage Month, this week's review provides a rich linguistic history of the Myaamia people through its examination of original texts in the Algonquian language Miami-Illinois
Posted on in Review of the Week