Religion & Cultural Studies

ch2ck availability
"Provides an exhaustive and organized overview of Jewish life and knowledge from the Second Temple period to the contemporary State of Israel, from Rabbinic to modern Yiddish literature, from Kabbalah to "Americana" and from Zionism to the contribution of Jews to world cultures."

NOTE: Online access is limited to 1 simultaneous user.
"Encyclopedia of Judaism covers Jewish tradition from religious practices in the Temple through exile and diaspora in Europe and Asia, to the expansion of Jewish denominations in America to the modern state of Israel and the continual development of rich diaspora Jewish communities."

ch2ck availability
The Halakhah embodies the complete Jewish Law, and contains commandments and guidelines for day-to-day living. The original commandments given by God to the Jewish people were enhanced by rabbis to offer a detailed framework to guide the lives of all Jews.In this complete, all-encompassing encyclopaedia of the Halakhah, the various laws are classified in such a way that a systematic and coherent structure is obtained. Each entry of the Halakhah is presented in a logical fashion. Where applicable, the original biblical wording is given, extended with literal abstracts from the Torah. Next, problems and questions that may arise from that law are stated and any additional information given. Finally, each entry gives comprehensive explanations and recommendations as to how these laws are to be observed in daily life where to be and where not to be, what to do and what not to do, what to say and what not to say. The Halakhah, or standard Jewish Law, combines the Mishnah (about 200 CE), the Tosefta (about 300 CE), and the two Talmuds (about 400, 600 CE for the Land of Israel and Babylon, respectively). Volumes I and II contain entries pertaining to the Jewish people in relationship to God. Volume III explains how the Jewish people can restore and maintain their society in accordance with the Torah as it is explained by the rabbis. In Volumes IV and V of this study, we take up the life of the Jewish household in their encounter with God. The Encyclopaedic account therefore moves from regulating relationships between Israel and God to establishing stable and equitable relationships among Israelites and finally to actually living the Halakhah.

ch2ck availability
"The Reader's Guide to Judaism is a survey of English-language translations of the most important primary texts in the Jewish tradition. The field is assessed in some 470 essays discussing individuals (Martin Buber, Gluckel of Hameln), literature (Genesis, Ladino Literature), thought and beliefs (Holiness, Bioethics), practice (Dietary Laws, Passover), history (Venice, Baghdadi Jews of India), and arts and material culture (Synagogue Architecture, Costume). The emphasis is on Judaism, rather than on Jewish studies more broadly."

NOTE: Online access is limited to 1 simultaneous user
The Brill Reference Library of Ancient Judaism, v. 5
Part 1: The Talmud's Formal Qualities -- Part 2: How the Talmud Thinks -- Part 3: The Talmud & Judaism

"Provides a multicultural reference work on Jewish folklore, legends, customs, including over 250 A-Z original, signed articles that cover major themes, beliefs, traditions, and folkways of Jewish groups around the world. The diverse range of articles covers specific artifacts, rituals, ceremonies, biblical figures, and legends-in addition to broad topics such as humor, folk dance, costumes, and folk narratives."

The Literary & Phenomenological Context: Apocalyptic prophecy -- The inheritance of prophecy in apocalypse -- Wisdom & apocalypticism -- Scriptural interpretation in early Jewish apocalypses -- Apocalyptic literature & the study of early Jewish mysticism -- Dreams & visions in early Jewish & early Christian apocalypses & apocalypticism -- The Social Function of Apocalyptic Literature: Social-scientific approaches to apocalyptic literature -- Jewish apocalyptic literature as resistance literature -- Apocalypse & empire -- A postcolonial reading of apocalyptic literature -- Literary Features of Apocalyptic Literature: The rhetoric of Jewish apocalyptic literature -- Early Christian apocalyptic rhetoric -- Deconstructing apocalyptic literalist allegory -- Apocalyptic Theology: Apocalyptic determinism -- Apocalyptic dualism -- Apocalyptic ethics & behavior -- Apocalypse & Torah in ancient Judaism -- Apocalypticism & Christian origins -- Descents to hell & ascents to heaven in apocalyptic literature -- Apocalypses among gnostics & Manichaeans -- The imagined world of the apocalypses -- Apocalypse Now: Messianism as a political power in contemporary Judaism -- Apocalypticism & radicalism -- Apocalypse & violence -- Apocalypticism in contemporary Christianity -- Apocalypse & trauma -- Apocalypticism & popular culture

ch2ck availability of print version
The Formation of the Tradition: Origins in the English Tradition -- Vernacular Bibles & Prayer Books -- The Protestant & Catholic Reformations -- The Enlightenment -- Romanticism -- The Influence of German Criticism -- The Victorians -- Modernism -- Postmodernism -- Literary Ways of Reading the Bible: The Bible as Literature & Sacred Text -- The Pentateuch -- Judges -- Psalms -- Song of Songs -- Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job -- Prophetic Literature -- The Synoptic Gospels -- The Gospel of John -- Apocalyptic Literature -- Theological Ways of Reading Literature: Langland & Chaucer -- Shakespeare & Marlowe -- Herbert & Donne -- John Milton -- The Eighteenth-Century Novel -- William Blake -- Wordsworth & Coleridge -- George Eliot & Hardy -- James Joyce -- Eliot, David Jones, & Auden -- Feminist Revisioning -- Theology as Literature: Cranmer & the Collects -- John Bunyan -- Bishop Butler -- Keble & the Christian Year -- John Henry Newman -- Matthew Arnold -- C. S. Lewis -- Liturgy as Literature -- The Great Themes: Evil & The God of Love -- Death & the Afterlife -- Pastoral Tradition in Religious Poetry -- The Passion Story in Literature -- Possibilities of Redemption Through the Novel -- Body & Word -- Visions of Heaven & Hell -- Feminism & Patriarchy -- Salvation—Personal & Political

ch2ck availability of print version
Thinking Globally About Religion -- Indic Cultural Region: Thinking Globally about Hinduism --
Traditional Brahmanical Society -- Popular Hindu Movements -- The Sikh Community -- The Jain Community -- Hindu Communities Abroad -- Buddhist/Confucian Cultural Region: Thinking Globally about Buddhism -- Theravada Buddhist Societies -- Tibetan Buddhist Society -- Vietnamese Religious Society -- Traditional Chinese Religious Society -- Popular Religion in Mainland China -- Traditional Japanese Religious Society -- Japanese New Religious Movements -- Korean Religious Society -- Buddhist Communities Abroad -- Jewish Cultural Region: Thinking Globally about Judaism -- Jewish Communities in Israel -- Jewish Communities in North Africa & the Middle East -- Jewish Communities in Europe -- Jewish Communities in the Americas -- Jewish Communities in Asia -- Christian Cultural Region: Thinking Globally about Christianity -- Western European Catholic Societies -- Eastern European Catholic Societies -- European Protestant Societies -- Orthodox Christian Societies -- Religious Communities in Russia -- The Coptic Community -- Latin American Catholic Societies -- North American Religious Communities -- Evangelical Christian Community in North & South America -- African Christian Communities -- Christian Communities in South Asia -- Christian Communities in China -- Christian Communities in Southeast Asia -- Mormon Communities around the World -- Islamic Cultural Region: Thinking Globally about Islam -- Arab Islamic Societies -- North African Islamic Societies -- Sub-Saharan African Islam -- European Islam -- Shi'a Islamic Societies -- Islamic Communities in Central Asia -- Islamic Communities in South Asia -- Islamic Societies in Southeast Asia -- Chinese Islamic Communities -- American Islamic Communities -- Religious Movements with Islamic Origins -- African Cultural Region: Thinking Globally about African Religion -- Traditional African Religious Society -- Afro-Caribbean Religious Societies -- Local Religious Societies: Thinking Globally about Local Religious Societies -- Native American Religious Societies -- Australian Aboriginal Societies -- Pacific Islands Religious Communities -- Understanding Global Religion: Religion in Global Perspective -- Anti-Global Religion? -- The Global Future of Religion

ch2ck availability of print version
Enablers: Antisemitism -- Science -- Nationalism -- Colonialism -- Fascism -- World Wars -- Protagonists: Hitler & Himmler -- Problem Solvers -- Killers -- On‐Lookers -- Rescuers -- Jews -- Women -- Children -- Catholics -- Protestants -- The Allies -- Gypsies, Homosexuals, & Slavs -- Settings: Greater Germany -- Living Space -- Occupied & Satellite States -- Ghettos -- Labor Sites -- Camps -- Representations: German Documents & Diaries -- Jews' Diaries & Chronicles -- Survivors' Accounts -- Literature -- Film -- Art -- Music -- Memorials & Museums -- Aftereffects: Liberation & Dispersal -- Punishment -- Plunder & Restitution -- Denial -- Israel -- Jewish Culture -- Judaism -- Christianity -- Germany -- Europe -- The Social Sciences -- The Humanities -- Education -- Human Rights Law -- Ethics

Jewish Ethical Theories: Ethical Theory & Practice in the Hebrew Bible -- Ethical Theories in Rabbinic Literature -- Ethical Theories in Jewish Mystical Writings -- Ethical Theories among Medieval Jewish Philosophers -- Spinoza & Jewish Ethics -- Mussar Ethics & Other Nineteenth-Century Jewish Ethical Theories -- Ethical Theories of Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, & Martin Buber -- Ethical Theories of Mordecai Kaplan & Abraham Joshua Heschel -- Ethical Theories of Abraham Isaac Kook & Joseph B. Soloveitchik -- Ethical Implications of the Holocaust -- Ethical Theories in the Reform Movement -- Ethical Theories in the Conservative Movement -- Ethical Theories in the Orthodox Movement -- Ethical Theories in the Reconstructionist Movement -- Feminist Jewish Ethical Theories -- Postmodern Jewish Ethical Theories -- Topics in Jewish Morals: Jewish Bioethics: The Beginning of Life -- Jewish Bioethics: The End of Life -- Jewish Bioethics: The Distribution of Health Care -- Jewish Bioethics: Current & Future Issues in Genetics -- Jewish Business Ethics -- Jewish Sexual Ethics -- Jewish Environmental Ethics: Intertwining Adam with Adamah -- Jewish Animal Ethics -- Jewish Ethics of Speech -- Jewish Political Ethics in America -- Jewish Political Ethics in Israel -- Judaism & Criminal Justice -- Jewish Ethics & War

ch2ck availability of print version
The Nature of Jewish Studies -- Biblical Studies & Jewish Studies -- Jews & Judaism in the Second Temple Period -- The Literature of the Second Temple Period -- Historiography on the Jews in the ‘Talmudic Period’ (70–640 ce) -- Classical Rabbinic Literature -- The Narratives of Medieval Jewish History -- Medieval Jewry In Christendom -- Medieval Jewry in the World of Islam -- Rabbinic Literature in the Middle Ages 1000–1492 -- The Study of Hebrew Literature of the Middle Ages: Major Trends & Goals -- Medieval Karaism -- Sephardi & Middle Eastern Jewries since 1492 -- European Jewry in the Early Modern Period: 1492–1750 -- Western & Central European Jewry in the Modern Period: 1750–1933 -- Eastern European Jewry in the Modern Period: 1750–1939 -- The Holocaust -- Settlement & State in Eretz Israel -- American Jewish History -- The Hebrew Language -- Modern Hebrew Literature -- Yiddish Studies -- Judaeo-Spanish Studies -- Judaeo-Arabic & Judaeo-Persian -- Other Diaspora Jewish Literatures Since 1492 -- Halacha & Law -- Bible Interpretation -- Mysticism -- Jewish Liturgy & Jewish Scholarship: Method & Cosmology -- Jewish Philosophy & Theology -- Jewish Women's Studies -- Demography -- Art, Architecture, & Archaeology -- Music -- Jewish Theatre -- Jewish & Israeli Film Studies -- Anti-Semitism Research -- Jewish Folklore & Ethnography -- Modern Jewish Society & Sociology

ch2ck availability of print version
Part I: The Concept of The Abrahamic Religions: Abraham & Authenticity -- Yet Another Abraham -- Abrahamic Experiments in History -- Three Rings or Three Impostors? The Comparative Approach to the Abrahamic Religions & its Origins -- The Abrahamic Religions as a Modern Concept -- The Concept of the Abrahamic Religions, Problems & Pitfalls -- Part II: Communities: Islamo-Christian Civilization -- The Abrahamic Religions in the Mediterranean -- Justice -- Jews & Muslims in Christian Law & History -- Beyond Exclusivism in the Middle Ages: On the Three Rings, the Three Impostors, & the Discourse of Multiplicity -- Part III: Scripture & Hermeneutics: Historical-Critical Readings of the Abrahamic Scriptures -- Interpreters of Scripture -- The Finality of Prophecy -- Apocalypticism, Millenarianism, & Messianism -- Part IV: Religious Thought: The Abrahamic Religions & the Classical Tradition -- Confessing Monotheism in Arabic (at-Tawḥīd): The One God of Abraham & his Apologists -- Philosophy & Theology -- Science & Creation: The Medieval Heritage -- Mysticism in the Abrahamic Religions -- Political Thought -- Religious Dualism & the Abrahamic Religions -- Part V: Rituals & Ethics: Prayer -- Purity & Defilement -- Dietary Law -- Life-Cycle Rites of Passage -- The Cult of Saints & Pilgrimage -- Religions of Love: Judaism, Christianity, Islam -- Religion & Politics in the Age of Fundamentalisms -- Part VI: Epilogues: Jewish & Other Abrahamic Philosophic Arguments for Abrahamic Studies -- Christian Perspectives: Settings, Theology, Practices, & Challenges -- Islamic Perspectives

Archaeology of Khirbet Qumran & the Judaean Wilderness: Khirbet Qumran & Its Environs -- The Qumran Cemetery Reassessed -- The Scrolls & Jewish History: Constructing Ancient Judaism from the Scrolls -- The Origins & History of the Teacher's Movement -- Women in Qumran & the Dead Sea Scrolls -- The Scrolls & Sectarianism: Sectarian Communities in the Dead Sea Scrolls -- The Classical Sources on the Essenes & the Scrolls Communities -- Sociological Approaches to Qumran Sectarianism -- Qumran Calendars & Sectarianism -- The Book of Enoch & the Qumran Scrolls -- The Biblical Texts, Interpretation, & Languages of the Scrolls: Assessing the Text‐Critical Theories of the Hebrew Bible after Qumran -- Authoritative Scriptures & the Dead Sea Scrolls -- Rewritten Scripture -- The Continuity of Biblical Interpretation in the Qumran Scrolls & Rabbinic Literature -- Hebrew, Aramaic, & Greek in the Qumran Scrolls -- Religious Themes in the Scrolls: Purity in the Dead Sea Scrolls == Apocalypticism & Messianism -- Exploring the Mystical Background of the Dead Sea Scrolls -- Wisdom Literature & Thought in the Dead Sea Scrolls -- Iranian Connections in the Dead Sea Scrolls -- Was the Dead Sea Sect a Penitential Movement? -- The Scrolls & Early Christianity: Critical Issues in the Investigation of the Scrolls & the New Testament -- Monotheism, Principal Angels, & the Background of Christology -- Shared Exegetical Traditions between the Scrolls & the New Testament -- The Scrolls & Later Judaism: Halakhah between the Dead Sea Scrolls & Rabbinic Literature -- The Contribution of the Qumran Scrolls to the Study of Ancient Jewish Liturgy -- Reviewing the Links between the Dead Sea Scrolls & the Cairo Genizah -- New Approaches to the Scrolls: Rhetorical Criticism & the Reading of the Qumran Scrolls -- Roland Barthes & the Teacher of Righteousness:: The Death of the Author of the Dead Sea Scrolls -- The Scrolls & the Legal Definition of Authorship