I have now added two new syllabi: "Faith and Violence", a first-year seminar, and "The Talmud." … [Continue reading] about New Syllabi
New Article on Pedagogy
I am happy to announce a new article that I have just published on pedagogy. Here is the abstract: During my career, I have regularly taught a survey course on the history of Jews and Judaism in the Persian, Greek, and early Roman periods (ca. 520 … [Continue reading] about New Article on Pedagogy
Music for Learning
I am presently reading Daniel Kahneman's engaging book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. Kahneman, who won a Nobel Prize in Economics (!) for his collaborative work with Amos Tversky that helped to develop the field of behavioral economics, gained notice … [Continue reading] about Music for Learning
Judah or Joseph? The Riddle of Jacob’s Testament
I have been struggling recently with the biblical account of Jacob’s last testament to his sons and their descendents, found in Genesis 49:1-27. I am hardly the first. As many commentators have already noted, this is one of the most … [Continue reading] about Judah or Joseph? The Riddle of Jacob’s Testament
Serving God
This last summer, with the help of the Instructional Technology Group at Brown University, I interviewed several clergy members from around Providence, RI. The primary purpose of these interviews was to create video footage that I could clip and use … [Continue reading] about Serving God