

Beschreibung
Zusatztext Firestone's book delivers a rich, neutral account of the historical texts and intellectual debates within Judaism. Informationen zum Autor Professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam and Founder and Co-director of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement...Zusatztext Firestone's book delivers a rich, neutral account of the historical texts and intellectual debates within Judaism. Informationen zum Autor Professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam and Founder and Co-director of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion: author of JIHAD: The Origin of Holy War in Islam Klappentext Holy War in Judaism is the first book to consider how the concept of ''holy war'' disappeared from Jewish thought for almost 2000 years, only to reemerge with renewed vigor in modern times. Holy war, sanctioned or even commanded by God, is a common and recurring theme in the Hebrew Bible, but Rabbinic Judaism largely avoided discussion of holy war in the Talmud and related literatures for the simple reason that it became extremely dangerous and self-destructive. The revival of the holy war idea occurred with the rise of Zionism, and as the need for organized Jewish engagement in military actions developed, Orthodox Jews faced a dilemma. There was great need for all to engage in combat for the survival of the infant state of Israel, but the Talmudic rabbis had virtually eliminated divine authorization for Jews to fight in Jewish armies. The first stage of the revival was sanction for Jews to fight in defense. The next stage emerged with the establishment of the state and allowed Orthodox Jews to enlist even when the community was not engaged in a war of survival. Once the notion of divinely sanctioned warring was revived, it became available to Jews who considered that the historical context justified more aggressive forms of warring. Among some Jews, divinely authorized war became associated not only with defense but also with a renewed kibbush or conquest, a term that became central to the discourse regarding war and peace and the lands conquered by the state of Israel in 1967. By the early 1980's, the rhetoric of holy war had entered the general political discourse of modern Israel. In this book Reuven Firestone identifies, analyzes, and explains the historical, conceptual, and intellectual processes that revived holy war ideas in modern Judaism. The book serves as a case study of the way in which one ancient religious concept, once deemed irrelevant or even dangerous, was successfully revived in order to fill a pressing contemporary need. It also helps to clarify the current political and religious situation in relation to war and peace in Israel and the Middle East. Zusammenfassung Holy War in Judaism is the first book to consider how the concept of ''holy war'' disappeared from Jewish thought for almost 2000 years, only to reemerge with renewed vigor in modern times. Inhaltsverzeichnis Foreword Abbreviations Introduction Part One: The Ancient Jewish World: Holy War in Practice Chapter 1: Holy War in the Bible Chapter 2: Jewish Holy War in Practice: Early Success Chapter 3: Holy War Fails Part Two: The World of the Rabbis: Holy War Interrupted Chapter 4: Rabbinic Responses to War's Failure Chapter 5: Rabbinic Typology of War Chapter 6: Who is the Enemy? Chapter 7: Maimonides' Counting of the Commandments Chapter 8: Nahmanides' Critique, and Other Thinkers Part Three: The Emergence of Jewish Modernity: Holy War on Hold Chapter 9: The Crisis of Modernity and Jewish Responses Chapter 10: From Practicality to a New Messianism Chapter 11: The New Jew Chapter 12: From Holocaust to Holy War: Israel's War of Independence Part Four: The Jewish State: Holy War Revived Chapter 13: 1948 to 1967: From Defensive War to Preemptive War Chapter 14: 1967 to 1973: The Miracle of Conquest and the Test of Yom Kippur Chapter 15: The 1980s: Holy War and its Excesses Conclusion: The Resurrection of Holy War Glossary Bibliography Index ...
Autorentext
Professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam and Founder and Co-director of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion: author of JIHAD: The Origin of Holy War in Islam
Klappentext
Holy War in Judaism is the first book to consider how the concept of ''holy war'' disappeared from Jewish thought for almost 2000 years, only to reemerge with renewed vigor in modern times. Holy war, sanctioned or even commanded by God, is a common and recurring theme in the Hebrew Bible, but Rabbinic Judaism largely avoided discussion of holy war in the Talmud and related literatures for the simple reason that it became extremely dangerous and self-destructive. The revival of the holy war idea occurred with the rise of Zionism, and as the need for organized Jewish engagement in military actions developed, Orthodox Jews faced a dilemma. There was great need for all to engage in combat for the survival of the infant state of Israel, but the Talmudic rabbis had virtually eliminated divine authorization for Jews to fight in Jewish armies. The first stage of the revival was sanction for Jews to fight in defense. The next stage emerged with the establishment of the state and allowed Orthodox Jews to enlist even when the community was not engaged in a war of survival. Once the notion of divinely sanctioned warring was revived, it became available to Jews who considered that the historical context justified more aggressive forms of warring. Among some Jews, divinely authorized war became associated not only with defense but also with a renewed kibbush or conquest, a term that became central to the discourse regarding war and peace and the lands conquered by the state of Israel in 1967. By the early 1980's, the rhetoric of holy war had entered the general political discourse of modern Israel. In this book Reuven Firestone identifies, analyzes, and explains the historical, conceptual, and intellectual processes that revived holy war ideas in modern Judaism. The book serves as a case study of the way in which one ancient religious concept, once deemed irrelevant or even dangerous, was successfully revived in order to fill a pressing contemporary need. It also helps to clarify the current political and religious situation in relation to war and peace in Israel and the Middle East.
Inhalt
Foreword
Abbreviations
Introduction
Part One: The Ancient Jewish World: Holy War in Practice
Chapter 1: Holy War in the Bible
Chapter 2: Jewish Holy War in Practice: Early Success
Chapter 3: Holy War Fails
Part Two: The World of the Rabbis: Holy War Interrupted
Chapter 4: Rabbinic Responses to War's Failure
Chapter 5: Rabbinic Typology of War
Chapter 6: Who is the Enemy?
Chapter 7: Maimonides' Counting of the Commandments
Chapter 8: Nahmanides' Critique, and Other Thinkers
Part Three: The Emergence of Jewish Modernity: Holy War on Hold
Chapter 9: The Crisis of Modernity and Jewish Responses
Chapter 10: From Practicality to a New Messianism
Chapter 11: The New Jew
Chapter 12: From Holocaust to Holy War: Israel's War of Independence
Part Four: The Jewish State: Holy War Revived
Chapter 13: 1948 to 1967: From Defensive War to Preemptive War
Chapter 14: 1967 to 1973: The Miracle of Conquest and the Test of Yom Kippur
Chapter 15: The 1980s: Holy War and its Excesses
Conclusion: The Resurrection of Holy War
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
