Judaism

In the study of Judaism, no amount of exposure to secondary sources or commentary can take the place of direct contact with the authoritative texts embodying Jewish thought and teaching. Through a careful selection of texts, this volume introduces the reader to a broad range of important theological and historical developments, as well as to the issues central to an understanding of present-day Judaism. The texts anthologized cover: Bible exegesis (midrash), liturgy, hagiography, law, ethics, philosophy and theology, mysticism, modern varieties of Judaism, Zionism, and the State of Israel. A group of selections deals with anti-Semitism and the attitudes of host societies towards the Jewish minority.