Alon Goshen-Gottstein Livres

Exploring the complexities of religious categorization, this book challenges the Jewish perception of Hinduism as Avoda Zara, or idolatry. Through a historical lens, it redefines Avoda Zara and examines how different religions can reflect the same divine essence. Author Alon Goshen-Gottstein argues for a nuanced understanding of idolatry, suggesting that all faiths contain both idolatrous and non-idolatrous elements. By posing critical questions, he encourages readers to move beyond simplistic labels and appreciate the multifaceted nature of religious traditions.

The historical relationship between Hinduism and Judaism is examined, highlighting its evolution from early interactions to modern times. The book delves into the influence of Hinduism on Jewish theology and spirituality, while also addressing the complexities and challenges it poses for Jewish identity. Through a survey of travelers and religious leaders, it reveals the enriching potential of this cross-cultural dialogue.

One of the biggest challenges for relations between religions is the view of the religious Other. The question touches the roots of our theological views. The Religious Other: Hostility, Hospitality, and the Hope of Human Flourishing explores the views of multiple religious traditions on how to regard otherness. How does one move from hostility to hospitality? How can hospitality be understood not simply as social hospitality but as theological hospitality, making room for the religious Other on theological grounds? What is our vision for the flourishing of the Other, while respecting his otherness? This volume is an exercise in constructive interreligious theology. By including Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic traditions, it approaches these challenges from multiple perspectives, highlighting commonalities in approach and ways in which one tradition might inspire another. Contributors: Vincent J. Cornell, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, Richard P. Hayes, Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Deepak Sarma, Stephen W. Sykes, Dharma Master Hsin Tao, Ashok Vohra

The book presents a spiritual framework for understanding Judaism throughout its history, emphasizing the continuous effort to live in God's presence. By integrating biblical, rabbinic, mystical, and philosophical sources, it explores how these elements shape the Jewish tradition and its evolution. Alon Goshen-Gottstein highlights the depth and complexity of Judaism, offering insights into its spiritual dimensions and the ways in which its followers have sought to connect with the divine.

Exploring the spiritual challenges posed by COVID-19, this volume features insights from forty video interviews with prominent faith leaders worldwide. It aims to provide hope and inspiration across various religions during these trying times. The book addresses critical questions about the role of religion in the pandemic and how different faiths respond to the crisis, offering a comprehensive analysis of the themes and messages that emerged from the interviews.

This book introduces the concept of "Religious Genius," offering a new framework for studying extraordinary figures in religious traditions, distinct from the traditional notion of saints. It highlights characteristics like love and humility, emphasizing how these individuals transform their faiths and inspire interfaith engagement.

The problem of Luther and the Jews has received much attention since World War II. Many consider there to be a direct line leading from Martin Luther's later anti-Jewish recommendations to policies carried out in the Third Reich. This has led contemporary Lutheran Churches worldwide to issue apologies and to distance themselves from Luther's anti-Semitic teachings. It has also led Jews to distance themselves from Luther as a religious figure. The present work revisits Luther's anti-Semitism and seeks to understand the compound factors that informed it. Drawing on contemporary Luther scholarship, it develops a model, the Luther Model, that brings together multiple factors that help account for what went wrong, as we see it from our contemporary perspective. With that model in place, it engages in an examination of whether these factors, abstracted from the particularity of their historical context, are not also present in contemporary Jewish attitudes to Christians, as well as in broader negative relations between faith communities. By constructing the Luther Model, this work seeks to feature Luther as a teacher and a paradigm for how religion can turn violent and destructive to other religions and to draw the appropriate lessons for interreligious relations today.