Written by an experienced university teacher, who is also a scholar and rabbi, this extensive textbook presents an unrivalled guide to the history, belief and practice of Judaism. Beginning with the ancient Near-Eastern background, it covers early Israelite history, the emergence of classical rabbinic literature and the rise of medieval Judaism in Islamic and Christian lands. It also explores the early modern period and the development of Jewry throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Extracts from primary sources are used to enliven the narrative and provide concrete examples of Jewish civilization. Judaism: introduces texts and commentaries, including the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic texts, mystical literature, Jewish philosophy and Jewish theology provides the skills necessary to understand these step-by-step explains how to interpret the major events in nearly 4,000 years of Jewish history supports study with discussion questions on the central historical and religious issues, includes key reading for each chapter and an extensive bibliography illustrates the development of Judaism, its concepts and observances, with nearly 200 maps and photographs. A companion website links each chapter to other online resources, and gives guidance on activities and support for teachers.

Cohn Sherbok argues that although antisemitism is an evil, it has paradoxically kept Judaism alive and made its culture prosper.

Since the post-Enlightenment, Jews have fragmented into a variety of sub-groups, each with their own religious ideology. This book provides a description as well as a critique of these various Jewish religious groups and offers an alternative model of Judaism based on an assessment of the nature of contemporary Jewish life. As will be seen, modern Jews are deeply divided on a wide variety of issues. Given this situation, no uniform pattern of Jewish existence can be imposed from above, nor is it likely to emerge from within the body of Israel. What is required instead is a philosophy of Jewish autonomy which legitimizes Jewish subjectivity and personal decision-making. This philosophy of Judaism - which is referred to in this study as 'Open Judaism' - provides a new foundation for Jewish life as Jews stand on the threshold of the third millennium.

For scholars working on almost any aspect of American thought, The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia to Philosophers in America presents an indispensable reference work. Selecting over 700 figures from the Dictionary of Early American Philosophers and the Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers, this condensed edition includes key contributors to philosophical thought. From 1600 to the present day, entries cover psychology, pedagogy, sociology, anthropology, education, theology and political science, before these disciplines came to be considered distinct from philosophy. Clear and accessible, each entry contains a short biography of the writer, an exposition and analysis of his or her doctrines and ideas, a bibliography of writings and suggestions for further reading. Featuring a new preface by the editor and a comprehensive introduction, The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia to Philosophers in America includes 30 new entries on twenty-first century thinkers including Martha Nussbaum and Patricia Churchland. With in-depth overviews of Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Noah Porter, Frederick Rauch, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson, this is an invaluable one-stop research volume to understanding leading figures in American thought and the development of American intellectual history.

New Religious Movements (NRMs) can involve vast numbers of followers and in many cases are radically changing the way people understand and practice religion and spirituality. Moreover, many are having a profound impact on the form and content of mainstream religion. The Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements provides uniquely global coverage of the phenomenon, with entries on over three-hundred movement from almost every country in the world. Coverage includes movements that derive from the major religions of the world and to neo-traditional movements, movements often overlooked in the study of NRMs. In addition to the coverage of particular movements there are also entries on topics, themes, key thinkers and key ideas, for example the New Age Movement, Neo-Paganism, New Religion and gender, NRMs and cyberspace, NRMs and the law, the Anti-Cult Movement, Swedenborg, Jung, Teilhard de Chardin, Lovelock, Gurdjieff, al-Banna, Qutb. The marked global approach and comprehensiveness of the encyclopedia enable an appreciation of the innovative energy of NRMs, of their extraordinary diversity, and the often surprising ways in which they can propagate geographically. The most ambitions publication of its sort, the Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements is a major addition to the reference literature for students and researchers of the field in religious studies and the social sciences. Entries are cross-referenced with short bibliographies for further reading. There is a full index.