Author: Elizabeth Wyner Mark
Publisher: UPNE
ISBN: 9781584653073
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
Scholars and rabbis examine the complicated history and contemporary challenges of the Jewish rite of circumcision.

Author: Lawrence A. Hoffman
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 9780226347837
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
Central to both biblical narrative and rabbinic commentary, circumcision has remained a defining rite of Jewish identity, a symbol so powerful that challenges to it have always been considered taboo. Lawrence Hoffman seeks to find out why circumcision holds such an important place in the Jewish psyche. He traces the symbolism of circumcision through Jewish history, examining its evolution as a symbol of the covenant in the post-exilic period of the Bible and its subsequent meaning in the formative era of Mishnah and Talmud. In the rabbinic system, Hoffman argues, circumcision was neither a birth ritual nor the beginning of the human life cycle, but a rite of covenantal initiation into a male "life line." Although the evolution of the rite was shaped by rabbinic debates with early Christianity, the Rabbis shared with the church a view of blood as providing salvation. Hoffman examines the particular significance of circumcision blood, which, in addition to its salvific role, contrasted with menstrual blood to symbolize the gender dichotomy within the rabbinic system. His analysis of the Rabbis' views of circumcision and menstrual blood sheds light on the marginalization of women in rabbinic law. Differentiating official mores about gender from actual practice, Hoffman surveys women's spirituality within rabbinic society and examines the roles mothers played in their sons' circumcisions until the medieval period, when they were finally excluded.

Author: David A. Bernat
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781589834095
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Circumcision and tyrb -- Circumcision, status, and sexuality -- Circumcision and the cult -- Exodus 6 : Moses' foreskinned lips -- Leviticus 19 : foreskinned fruit trees -- Leviticus 26 : Israel's foreskinned heart

Author: Louis Ginzberg
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description

Author: Sim I. McMillen
Publisher: Revell
ISBN: 080075719X
Category : Health
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Show how stupidity, ignorance, self-indulgence and other human foibles can destroy well-being, and sometimes lead to a lifetime of sickness, or to death.

Author: Anita Diamant
Publisher: Schocken
ISBN: 0805212191
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
"As a rabbi and a convert, I appreciate this book deeply for its sensitivity to the complex feelings of those who are exploring paths to becoming Jewish, and for the deep love of Judaism it conveys. I will give it to every interfaith couple, and recommend that they give it to their parents. It is wonderful! " --Rachel Cowan, co-author of Mixed Blessings In the same knowledgeable, reassuring, and respectful style that has made her one of the most admired writers of guides to Jewish practices and rituals, Anita Diamant provides advice and information that can transform the act of conversion into an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth. Married to a convert herself, Diamant anticipates all the questions, doubts, and concerns, provides a comprehensive explanation of the rules and rituals of conversion, and offers practical guidance toward creating a Jewish identity. Here you will learn how to choose a rabbi, a synagogue, a denomination, a Hebrew name; how to handle the difficulty of putting aside Christmas; what happens at the mikvah (the ritual bath) or at a hatafat dam brit (circumcision ritual for those already circumcised); how to find your footing in a new spiritual family that is not always well prepared to receive you; and how not to lose your bonds to your family of origin. Sensitive, sympathetic, and insightful, Choosing a Jewish Life provides everything necessary to make conversion a joyful and spiritually meaningful experience.

Author: John Stott
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830839216
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
The Sermon on the Mount contains Jesus' description of what he wanted his followers to be and do. In this BST volume, John Stott guides readers through Matthew 5 through 7, identifying key themes, confronting the challenges this text raises for today's Christians, and drawing out practical applications.

Author: George C. Denniston
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1475733518
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 428

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Book Description
Every year, in the United States and the third world combined, 13.3 million boys and 2 million girls are circumcised. Whether because of perceived medical, cultural, or religious necessity, most of these parents feel they have no alternative but to allow their children to undergo this surgery. Sparking intense debate, the circumcision of children is a highly controversial and complex phenomenon that touches a variety of sociological areas, such as religious beliefs, identity issues, medical conceptualizations, fear, and superstition. The contributors to this volume comprise an international panel of experts in the fields of medicine, psychology, law, ethics, sociology, anthropology, history, theology, and politics. In 18 chapters they discuss the history of circumcision; document the physical and psychological consequences of circumcision; present the latest anatomical discoveries about the male prepuce; analyze the role of circumcision in various traditions; reveal the medical industry's investment in the practice; describe current legislative efforts to protect children from circumcision; and outline effective, culturally sensitive methods that are being implemented today to safeguard the human rights of at-risk children. For its insights into this troubling aspect of culture, Understanding Circumcision: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to a Multi-Dimensional Problem is a critically important contribution to the growing body of literature on this subject.

Author: Leonard B. Glick
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198039255
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
The book of Genesis tells us that God made a covenant with Abraham, promising him a glorious posterity on the condition that he and all his male descendents must be circumcised. For thousands of years thereafter, the distinctive practice of circumcision served to set the Jews apart from their neighbors. The apostle Paul rejected it as a worthless practice, emblematic of Judaism's fixation on physical matters. Christian theologians followed his lead, arguing that whereas Christians sought spiritual fulfillment, Jews remained mired in such pointless concerns as diet and circumcision. As time went on, Europeans developed folklore about malicious Jews who performed sacrificial murders of Christian children and delighted in genital mutilation. But Jews held unwaveringly to the belief that being a Jewish male meant being physically circumcised and to this day even most non-observant Jews continue to follow this practice. In this book, Leonard B. Glick offers a history of Jewish and Christian beliefs about circumcision from its ancient origins to the current controversy. By the turn of the century, more and more physicians in America and England--but not, interestingly, in continental Europe--were performing the procedure routinely. Glick shows that Jewish American physicians were and continue to be especially vocal and influential champions of the practice which, he notes, serves to erase the visible difference between Jewish and gentile males. Informed medical opinion is now unanimous that circumcision confers no benefit and the practice has declined. In Jewish circles it is virtually taboo to question circumcision, but Glick does not flinch from asking whether this procedure should continue to be the defining feature of modern Jewish identity.

Author: Shaye J. D. Cohen
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520212509
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
"This book represents engaged scholarship at its very best. Cohen presents the vast range of texts at his command with brevity and wit. Elegantly written, this is a very stimulating book that is sure to provoke admiration, discussion, and controversy."—David Biale, author of Cultures of the Jews "A distinguished and wide-ranging work of scholarship. Cohen’s definitive discussion of the covenant of circumcision enhances our understanding of Jewish identity formation, women’s status in Judaism, Jewish-Christian polemic, and the impact of diverse cultural environments on the evolution of Jewish tradition."—Judith R. Baskin, author of Midrashic Women