The Messiah and the Jews: Three Thousand Years of Tradition, Belief and Hope
192
The Messiah and the Jews: Three Thousand Years of Tradition, Belief and Hope
192Paperback
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Overview
"The conviction that the Messiah is coming is a promise of meaning. It is a source of consolation. It is a wellspring of creativity. It is a reconciliation between what is and what should be. And it is perhaps our most powerful statement of faith—in God, in humanity and in ourselves."—from Chapter 1, "The Messiah Is Coming!"
The coming of the Messiah—the promise of redemption—is among Judaism's gifts to the world. But it is a gift about which the world knows so little. It has been overshadowed by Christian belief and teaching, and as a result its Jewish significance has been all but lost. To further complicate matters, Jewish messianic teaching is enthralling, compelling, challenging, exhilarating—yet, up until now, woefully inaccessible. This book will change that.
Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman brings together, and to life, this three-thousand-year-old tradition as never before. Rather than simply reviewing the vast body of Jewish messianic literature, she explores an astonishing range of primary and secondary sources, explaining in an informative yet inspirational way these teachings' significance for Jews of the past—and infuses them with new meaning for the modern reader, both Jewish and non-Jewish.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781580236904 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Turner Publishing Company |
| Publication date: | 02/01/2013 |
| Pages: | 192 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d) |
About the Author
Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman is available to speak on the following topics:
- What Does Judaism Teach about the Messiah—and Why Should I Care?
- What Do Jews Believe about the Messiah? A Brief Introduction for Christians
- Why You Should Believe in the Messiah—and Maybe Already Do
- Warriors, Battles and the End of Days: The Apocalypse in Jewish Tradition
- Women in Messianic Literature
- Suffering and Redemption in Jewish Tradition
- A Messianic Map: Sites of Apocalyptic Significance in Modern Israel
- Is the State of Israel a Sign of the Messiah?
- The Resurrection of the Dead in Jewish Tradition
- The Failure of Liberal Jewish Messianism
- Experiencing the Messiah
- How to Bring the Messiah
Click here to contact the author.
Neil Gillman, rabbi and PhD, is professor of Jewish philosophy at The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, where he has served as chair of the Department of Jewish Philosophy and dean of the Rabbinical School. He is author of Believing and Its Tensions: A Personal Conversation about God, Torah, Suffering and Death in Jewish Thought; The Death of Death: Resurrection and Immortality in Jewish Thought, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award and a Publishers Weekly "Best Book of the Year"; The Way Into Encountering God in Judaism; The Jewish Approach to God: A Brief Introduction for Christians; Traces of God: Seeing God in Torah, History and Everyday Life (all Jewish Lights) and Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the Modern Jew, winner of the National Jewish Book Award.
Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams, PhD, an award-winning Jewish educator, is widely recognized for making the study of Judaism and its sacred texts accessible and relevant to our everyday lives. She is the founder and director of Maqom: A School for Adult Talmud Study (www.maqom.com) and a recipient of the Covenant Award for outstanding performance in the field of Jewish education. She teaches through the ALEPH rabbinic program and is author of Learn Talmud and Talmud for Beginners, among other books about Talmud and prayer. She is a popular speaker on the topics of Jewish learning and sacred literature.
Table of Contents
Foreword ixPreface xiIntroduction xvChapter OneThe Messiah Is Coming! 1
Where Is the Messiah Now? 2When Will the Messiah Come? 4Can We Make the Messiah Come Faster? 7How Will the Messiah Appear? 10Has the Messiah Been Revealed Before? 13How Can We Recognize the True Messiah? 16
Chapter TwoThe Messiah Will Rule Over Israel 19
What Does "Messiah" Mean? 20Why Must the Messiah Be Descendedfrom King David? 22Why Do Messianic Hopes Focus on Israel? 25What Is the "Ingathering of the Exiles"? 27What Is the Relationship betweenthe State of Israel and the Messiah? 30How Did the Messiah Become Associatedwith Supernatural Elements? 33
Chapter ThreeThe Messiah Is a Warrior 37
What Will the World Be Like Just Beforethe Messiah Comes? 38What Is Apocalyptic Literature? 41Against Whom Will the Messiah Go to War? 44Who Is the Messiah ben Joseph? 47Who Is Hephzibah? 50How Will the Messiah Triumph? 52
Chapter FourThe Messiah Will Change Everything 57
How Will the Natural World Be Differentin the Days of the Messiah? 58What Will People Be Like in the Messianic Age? 61What Will Society Be Like in the Messianic Age? 64When the Messiah Is Here, How WillJudaism Be Practiced? 66What Is the Resurrection of the Dead? 70What Is the Feast of the Righteous? 72
Chapter FiveThe Messiah Will Establish God's Dominion 77
Who Is Elijah? 78What Is the Role of the Shofar? 81Will the Wicked Be Brought to Justicein the Messianic Age? 84Will Everyone Be Jewish in the Days of the Messiah? 87How Will We Relate to God in the Messianic Age? 89What Is the Connection between Individualand Communal Redemption? 92
Chapter SixThe Messiah Is Us 97
Who Is the "Suffering Servant"? 98What Is the Role of the Messiah in Hasidic Judaism? 101Who Is Rabbi Schneerson? 104What Did Classical Reform Judaism Teachabout the Messiah? 107What Does Modern Liberal Judaism Teachabout the Messiah? 110Can We Experience the Messiah? 113
Author's Note 117Notes 119Suggestions for Further Reading 143Index 148
What People are Saying About This
"Teems with life-affirming vitality and hope.... Liberal and secular Jews have long been hesitant to talk about the concept of Messiah in Judaism, but Rabbi Glickman teaches us how, and that alone is redemptive."
"Reminds us of the rich Jewish history of belief in the Messiah and the messianic. Through a compelling narrative we are encouraged to remember things will get better than this. Educates and inspires in a time when we sorely need both."
"The world cries out not for mere messianic fantasies but for hard labor by us all to birth some fundamental changes. Rabbi Glickman's book can help Jews know how to join fruitfully in that birthing."
"A comprehensive, highly readable treatment of a subject of perennial interest to Jews and Christians. Both edifies and inspires."
"Indispensable.... [This] well-researched work balanced by modern sensibilities makes for an engaging study of the Messiah for people of all faiths and no faith."
"Points the way to a postmodern revival of messianic belief that is smart, daring, hopeful, balanced and brimming with humanity.... Deserves to be widely read and discussed by serious Jews of all ages and affiliations."
"Drawing on Rabbi Glickman's well-ordered knowledge of the subject ... quickly moves beyond the historical or theological and into the spiritual. Shows how every Jew has a stake in the Messiah's coming."