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Judaism and the challenges of modernity

Explore the impact of modernity on Judaism, including social, intellectual, and political challenges. Discover various streams of Jewish thought and their responses to these challenges. Dive into the struggles and surprises of modern readers as they grapple with the concept of modernity.

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Judaism and the challenges of modernity

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  1. RELIG 210: Introduction to Judaism February 11, 2009 Judaism and the challenges of modernity

  2. What aspects of the ritual reminded you of general concepts we discussed regarding Jewish holidays? What did you find most surprising about the ritual? Tubishvatseder-reactions

  3. What social and intellectual challenges does the modern period pose to Judaism? How do various streams of Jewish thought respond to these challenges? Today’s Goal

  4. “You are eternally mighty, Adonai—reviving the dead. You redeem magnificently, sending round the winds and bringing down the rains…Who is like you, Marvel Worker, and who is comparable to you…Blow a great blast of the trumpet for our liberation, and lift up the banner to gather in our Exiles, and gather us to together from the four corners of the earth.” (The Morning Amidah) What troubles you as modern readers?

  5. Timeframe? Intellectual Trends? Social Trends? Political Trends? What is modernity?

  6. Socio-Political: Emancipation • Recognition of Jews as equal citizens • Expectations of citizenship • Judaism as voluntary • Intellectual: Enlightenment • Reason over revelation • The challenge to Judaism How does modernity impact judaism?

  7. Pre-Modern Jewish Politics • Corporate Community-Autonomy • Restricted Status based on Religion • Limited Interaction with Non-Jews • Religion or Nation?

  8. Emancipation and its Benefits

  9. Price of Emancipation • But, they say to me, the Jews have their own judges and laws. I respond that it is your fault and you should not allow it. We must refuse everything to the Jews as a nation and accord everything to Jews as individuals. • Count Clermont–Tonnerre, 1789 (On-line Reserve)

  10. Spread of Emancipation

  11. Emancipation brings.. • Acculturation • Loss of Rabbinic Authority • Judaism as voluntary • Judaism as a “Religion”

  12. The Enlightenment and Religion

  13. Secular and anti-religious • Reason in opposition to Revelation • Universal not particular truth Enlightenment

  14. What are the Challenges to Judaism’s Narrative?

  15. The Structure of Judaism’s Basic Symbolic Vocabulary GOD TORAH ISRAEL MITZVOT MESSIAH Time/History

  16. Baruch spinoza-Theological Political Treatise (1670) • The natural Divine Law does not enjoin (prescribe) ceremonial rites, that is, actions which in themselves are of no significance and are termed good merely by tradition…or…actions whose explanation surpass human understanding. For the natural light of reason enjoins nothing that is not within the compass of reason but only what it can show us quite clearly to be a good, or a means to our blessedness.

  17. Autonomous Reason • “Think for Yourself!” • Scientific Naturalism • “Prove it to me!” • Historicism • “What really happened?” • Nationalism • “Where is your primary allegiance?” Modes of Thought Influencing Jews

  18. Are They Different From Pre-Modern Challenges? Moses Maimonides (b. 1135) Spinoza

  19. Modernist Religious Responses • Reform • Orthodox • Positive-Historical/Conservative • Traditionalist Response • Secularist/Political Responses • Zionism • Bundism Ideological Responses-Overview

  20. Moses mendelssohn, Jerusalem (1783) • “The Israelites possess a divine legislation…Propositions and prescriptions of this kind were reveled to them by Moses in a miraculous and supernatural manner, but no doctrinal opinions, no saving truths, no universal propositions of reason. These the eternal reveals to us and to all other men, at all times, through nature and thing…Judaism boasts of no excusive revelation of eternal truths that are indispensable to salvation…”

  21. Reconcile Judaism and Enlightenment Judaism=Religion Universal over Particular Ethical over Legal Progress Response 1: Modernist

  22. Begins in Europe moves to U.S. • 1817-New Isreaslite Temple Association (On-line Reading) • God-Ideal of ethical consciousness • Torah-Revelation of Reason • Historical husk (ceremonial) vs. moral core • Israel-The Mission Theory • Mitzvah-Ethical Commandments • Messiah-Universal Integration Reform Movement

  23. Created in Response to Reform (EJ, 535) Divine Authority of Written and Oral Torah Reject Progress Criteria for Change “Torah” and “Science” Mitzvot are binding-Ethical Meaning Messiah-Redemption in Land and Loyal Citizens Orthodox Movement

  24. Called Conservative in the U.S. Accept Halakhah/Mizvot and historical change Torah-Evolution of man’s relationship with the divine Tradition and change Positive-Historical Movement

  25. Central and Eastern European Similar to Orthodox (Mitzvah, Halakhah) Reject modern political, social, philosophical thought Premodern Messiah Present as authentic tradition Are they? Response 2: Traditionalist/Ultra-Orthodox

  26. “…May your mind not turn to evil and never engage in corruptible partnership with those fond of innovations, who, as a penalty for our many sins, have strayed from the Almighty and His law…Be warned not to change your Jewish names, speech, and clothing--God forbid…Never say: ‘Times have changed!’…The order of prayer and synagogue shall remain forever as it has been up to now, and no one may presume to change anything of its structure.” --Rabbi Moses Sofer, 1762-1839

  27. God-Tool for exploitation • Torah-National Culture, History • No Halakhah, Mitzvot (commandment) • Israel-Persecuted People ready for freedom • Messiah-Revolutionary Fervor Response 3: Secularist

  28. Zionism: Jewish Nationalism

  29. Revolutionary Social change through socialism Join Jewish workers with non-Jewish revolutionaries Bundism

  30. Originates as a left branch of Conservative Judaism in 1968 “Evolving Religious Civilization” Rejection of a Supernatural God Torah-Jewish Folkways Israel-Civilization, not Religion Reconstructionist

  31. Major challenges of modernity • Emancipation-Voluntary • Enlightenment-Reason • Diverse Spectrum of responses • All experience significant change To Sum up…

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