Judaism, part I (Chapter 8)
The next three religions, Judaism, Catholicism, and Islam all have common regional roots in the Middle East. Of the three Judaism is the first one to emerge. The authors of your text do an excellent job of presenting the religion. An interesting feature of this faith is the idea (or “unique” as the authors say) is the concept of a covenant—that is a special relationship or contract between God and Jewish people. By the way, Judaism is both a religion and an ethnicity.
Another interesting aspect of Judaism is with the literature produced, largely comprising of sacred writings. Within these sacred writings are a variety of genres imbedded in the most recognizable of sacred writings, the Bible. In the second post for Judaism, we will further explore this aspect.
Also, since this is a philosophy class, it should be pointed out that that there have been several Jewish philosophers who have made major contributions to philosophy who are very much a part of the history of philosophy such as Maimonides (1138-1204),Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) and Martin Buber (1879-1965). We will see other philosophical contributors like them in both Christianity and Islam. If you have some free time in the future, they are well worth the time to read their texts. Buber, for example, explore transcendence---becoming one with God --this is a much oversimplified view but a quick insight.
Post Question:
Major branches of Judaism are introduced: Orthodox, reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist. Discuss the commonalties between them as well as their differences in terms of doctrine, practice, and leadership. How do these divisions compare to the divisions found in other religions we have studied? (You have recently answered a question on whether or not divisions in a religion strengthen and/or weaken a religion). Here is an opportunity to further observe and explore different expressions and denominations of the Jewish faith. Think about how an old religion with evolving modern movements creates the idea of a living religion—think about the title of our textbook.
Do not forget to respond to two of your classmates!