Rezension von zwei Büchern des Rabbiners Shimon Gershon Rosenberg / Reviews of two books of Rabbi Shimon Gershon Rosenberg.

This dissertation maintains that the covenant relationship formula (CRF) as expressed in Deuteronomy 26:16-19 (‏[Hebrew text extracted]) serves as a focal point which defines, unifies and bears the weight of the covenantal framework of the book of Deuteronomy. Chapter 1 reviews previous assertions that Deuteronomy is patterned after ancient Near Eastern treaties, highlights the conclusions of Rendtorff regarding the CRF, and identifies the translation difficulties in 26:16-19. Chapter 2 critiques the proposals of von Rad, Kline, Kitchen, and Wenham who suggest that Deuteronomy follows the pattern of the ancient Near Eastern treaties. An alternate schema for the covenantal framework of Deuteronomy 1-30 is proffered. Finally, an excursus addressing the Mosaic authorship of Deuteronomy 27 is included. Chapter 3 proposes that the Hiphil of [Hebrew text extracted] in verses 17 and 18 is functioning causatively and utilizes dual direct objects in the sentence construction. Grammatical and syntactical features of the text of 26:16-19 are observed. Theological concerns on the translational renderings of 26:17-19 are posed. A proposed conceptual model of the sequence of events that may underlie the text of Deuteronomy 26:17-19 is offered. Chapter 4 considers the canonical context of Deuteronomy 26. A chart demonstrates the literary-structural unity of the three ceremonies of confession (26:1-11; 26:12-15; and 26:16-19). Further analysis, however, reveals that 26:16-19, while integrally connected to the other ceremonies, functions also on the macro level within the greater covenantal framework of Deuteronomy. Chapter 5 examines each of the expressions of the CRF (4:20; 7:6; 14:2; 27:9; 28:9; and 29:12) as they occur in the covenantal framework of Deuteronomy. An analysis of the function of the CRF reveals that prior to its expression in the focal text (26:16-19) it is associated with the notion of exclusive loyalty to Yahweh and after the focal text it is associated with the expectation of obedience to Yahweh. Chapter 6 summarizes the work of chapters 1 and 2 then applies the findings of chapters 3 through 5 to demonstrate that the CRF ([Hebrew text extracted]) as expressed in 26:16-19 with its concomitant covenantal obligations can bear the weight of and does indeed serve as the keystone of the covenantal framework of Deuteronomy. The covenantal exchange in 26:17-19 connects the emphasis on obedience in 26:17 to that of the covenant relationship formula in 27:9; 28:9; and 29:12 and connects the emphasis on exclusive loyalty in 26:18-19 to that of the covenant relationship formula in 4:20; 7:6; and 14:2.

This thesis explores how women in different religious communities relate to the concept of Salvation. Focusing on Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism, this short experimental film, and supplement paper, seek to provide an alternative point of view that translates this unique experience for women in religions that use heavily gendered language and that are rooted in traditional patriarchal cultures. By using the experimental film medium, viewers are able to perceive religion and film in a new way that pushes the viewer to give their own interpretation of the imagery on screen. It also allows viewers to give the imagery meaning and to be submerged in the content of the film. This thesis is an exploration so it does not provide a concrete answer but it encourages a viewer to reevaluate their own spiritual beliefs and to take into consideration an alternative perspective.

In this thesis, I assert that the mikvah, a Jewish purification ritual, can be understood as a queer ritual in that it has the potential to destabilize the knowledges and structures that it has traditionally been understood to uphold. I draw on queer theory in order to establish Victor Turner’s liminality as a productive analytical tool and then utilize this new queer liminality to illuminate the mikvah’s latent potential for producing new meanings and modes of resistance for its participants.

Univ., Diss.-2006--Passau, 2005.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of History, June 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

This dissertation rhetorically analyzes the ways in which ineffable moments of awakening are constructed in the context of three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Zen. Close textual analysis revealed that awakening is constructed differently in all three religions and that ineffability itself assumed different meanings in all cases. The conventional understanding of language as arbitrary and as based on human convention does not apply to Hebrew which takes itself to be a sacred language. Words are understood in this tradition as creative elements that convey more than trivial information and the term ineffability does not occupy much thought in Judaism. Christianity is grounded in a representative model of language and equates words with mortality and temporality. Awakening is constructed ontologically as moments in which textuality and corporality are transcended and one merges with the infinite divine. Zen is cautious about the ways in which language constructs the illusion of distinct identities, but ineffability is not constructed as an ontological concept in this tradition. Awakening is understood as beyond all words. The tropes recognized in the Jewish construction of awakening are metonymy, dialogue, differences, juxtapositions, particularities, haunting, and intertextuality. In Christianity, the dominant tropes are allegory, typology, metaphors, substitution, replacement and abstraction. Awakening is modeled after the resurrection of Jesus and is understood as a dramatic and ineffable event. The dominant rhetorical moves in Zen are suchness, nonsense, and paradoxes. Differences are also found between the construction of subjectivity, the perception of time, aesthetics, the linguistic model and ineffability. Judaism views itself as an architecture of time, but this time is not linear and is instead understood by the qualitative moments of the events. Awakening maintains the reverberations of past events into the present, but present moments are given significant attention. In Christianity, man is understood as grounded in space and progressing on a linear axis of time from birth towards his telos. Ineffability is constructed spatially and the event of awakening divides life into before and after. Zen attempts to deconstruct time and views it as sunyata, or “emptiness”. / text

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In light of an ever growing gap between Israel’s religious and secular communities, it is perhaps inevitable that the phenomenon would come to capture the interest of Israel-oriented scholars. Yet efforts to address the extent to which religion affects the nature and operations of the Israeli army and the degree to which that influence is advantageous – or perhaps detrimental – have been far from comprehensive. A manifestation of the religious-secular conflict, the religious-military cleavage within Israeli society has long been at the heart of Israel-focused research. Scholars have remained intrigued by the conflicts that arise when a soldier’s religious background is at odds with the inflexibility of army life. Many researchers have sought to measure the degree to which religion affects army cohesion and success in war, and determine whether or not religious influence on the State’s force is largely harmless or a looming threat. While scholars of both camps have posited credible theories crafted out of sound analyses, a review of selected scholarship on the subject suggests that the influence of religion on the Israeli military is benign. Opponents of religious influence on the military have failed to appreciate the benefits of integrating devout troops into the force and the successes of mediating mechanisms that have become instrumental to the IDF. Such mediators may have been implemented in an effort to accommodate religious soldiers, but the entire force has stood to benefit. / text

The music and texts of the Jewish liturgy are commonly called the Sacred Service. Choral settings of this liturgy form a distinct genre of choral music. Despite the rich history and influence of the text itself, relatively few composers have set it chorally. Among the two most influential settings are Avodath Hakodesh (1933) by Ernest Bloch and Darius Milhaud’s Service sacré (Sacred Service) of 1947. Temple Emanu-El Reformed Congregation in San Francisco commissioned both under the leadership of Cantor Reuben Rinder, and the two pieces have many similarities. The focus of the present research is on expressive text-setting in the Service sacré of Darius Milhaud. My research suggests that study of Milhaud’s personal beliefs and religious background can help explain some of the composer’s compositional decisions in Service sacré. Milhaud’s background includes deep roots in the Jewish tradition, but he also shows a keen appreciation for aspects of Christian theology. Prior to this study, Milhaud’s intent to expressively set the text has not been thoroughly considered. Particularly interesting are his settings of texts that deal with themes such as salvation and redemption, including movements such as Tsur Yisrael (Mvt. V), Praised be Thou, O Lord (Mvt. VI), and Returning the Scroll to the Ark (Mvt. XII). These topics of salvation and redemption are usually deemphasized in the Reformed Jewish perspective. Yet, in Milhaud’s work, these portions are highlighted through his compositional settings.