We need fanatics. By keeping true to their ideological positions – whether by threatening to bring down the modern global financial markets or by banning vegetables for consumption because they contain microscopic bugs – they remind us of … [Continue reading] about Fanatics
A New Home
It has taken me some time, but I finally have managed to create a site that consolidates my blog, my personal website, and my site devoted to resources for my book, Creating Judaism. I have imported past blog entries, a procedure that I have … [Continue reading] about A New Home
Apocalypse, One of These Days
I had the good fortune of recently attending "The Enoch Seminar," which this year was devoted to study of the books of 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra. These two books are both thought to originate in first or second century Palestine, written in Hebrew by … [Continue reading] about Apocalypse, One of These Days
Through the Lens of "Judeo-Christian"
The phrase "Judeo-Christian" - as in, "America is based on Judeo-Christian values" - is a strange beast. Given the not insignificant and often fatal tension between Jews and Christians over 2,000 years over matters of doctrine and belief, what does … [Continue reading] about Through the Lens of "Judeo-Christian"
gninoitseuQ "belief"
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a workshop at Yale University on the term "belief". The focus was on whether, how, and why "belief" remains a useful category for discussing and explaining religion today. The day of conversation was … [Continue reading] about gninoitseuQ "belief"