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Dangerous religious ideas : the deep roots of self-critical faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam / Rachel S. Mikva.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: Boston, Massachusetts : Beacon Press, [2020]Description: 255 pages ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780807051870
  • 080705187X
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 202 23
Contents:
What are dangerous religious ideas? -- Scripture as a dangerous religous idea -- Judaism -- the canonization of controversy -- Christianity -- the human equation -- Islam -- the role of doubt in faith -- Scripture in the contemporary context -- A matrix of dangerous religious ideas -- Chosenness in Judaism -- Election in Christianity -- Divine guidance in Islam -- Enduring challenges -- Religious in the public square? The case of criminal justice -- The space-in-between.
Summary: "Dangerous Religious Ideas explores the themes of Scripture, Election, and Reward & Punishment to investigate how Judaism, Christianity and Islam have grappled with both the perilous power and positive potential of their teachings"-- Provided by publisher.
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Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Book Book Bedford Public Library Non-Fiction Non-Fiction 202 MIK Available 32500001807958
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Reveals how faith traditions have always passed down tools for self-examination and debate, because all religious ideas-not just extremist ones-can cause harm, even as they also embody important moral teachings.

Scripture's abiding relevance can inspire great goodness, such as welcoming the stranger and extending compassion for the poor. But its authority has also been wielded to defend slavery, marginalize LGBTQ individuals, ignore science, and justify violence. Grounded in close readings of scripture and tradition in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, religious scholar Rachel Mikva shows us that the Abrahamic religions have always been aware of their tremendous power both to harm and to heal. And so they have transmitted their sacred stories along with built-in tools-interpretive traditions-to do the necessary work of taking on dangerous religious ideas and fostering self-critical faith.

By exploring the themes of Scripture, Election, Reward and Punishment, Mikva examines how the interpretive methodologies of these religions have identified and grappled with their perilous power and positive potential. Many readers presume that their understanding of scripture's meaning is absolute, forgetting how these sacred texts and the history of interpretation have valued multiple perspectives and recognized ongoing rhythms of change. It's not a modern phenomenon to debate the nature of truth, hold space open for doubt, value humility, and question our capacity to know things-especially about God and God's will-with certainty. In fact, none of the traditions could remain vital or thrive together without a sustained practice of self-critique. Dangerous Religious Ideas reframes the way we talk about faith to create a space where public discussion of religion is more constructive, nuanced, and socially engaged.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Dangerous Religious Ideas explores the themes of Scripture, Election, and Reward & Punishment to investigate how Judaism, Christianity and Islam have grappled with both the perilous power and positive potential of their teachings"-- Provided by publisher.

What are dangerous religious ideas? -- Scripture as a dangerous religous idea -- Judaism -- the canonization of controversy -- Christianity -- the human equation -- Islam -- the role of doubt in faith -- Scripture in the contemporary context -- A matrix of dangerous religious ideas -- Chosenness in Judaism -- Election in Christianity -- Divine guidance in Islam -- Enduring challenges -- Religious in the public square? The case of criminal justice -- The space-in-between.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

In exploring how all three monotheistic faiths affirm ideas that can be dangerous and frequently cause significant damage to societies at large, Mikva (Chicago Theological Seminary) argues that certain concepts found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam can be used either for evil or for good. She specifically focuses on three dangerous religious ideas: ones associated with scripture, election, and justice. She examines how the religions have interpreted their scripture and traditions throughout history, and finds that all three of them often have multiple interpretations of this material, with some of them affirming more aggressive behavior, and others not. Mikva explores how scriptural texts came to be understood, and believes each religion contains resources to combat the negative interpretations, and an important part of this is developing ongoing critical self-assessment. The religions then, in similar ways, could address current social problems related to such areas as intolerance, inequity, injustice, and oppression. VERDICT Those interested in scriptural interpretation, monotheistic religions, and interfaith dialog will find this book to be highly informative, well-researched, and relevant to contemporary culture.--John Jaeger, Johnson Univ., Knoxville, TN

Publishers Weekly Review

Rabbi Mikva (Midrash VaYosha), professor at Chicago Theological Seminary, argues in this excellent analysis that, though "all religious ideas are dangerous," those same ideas can provoke acts of compassion, generosity, and justice. The difference between antagonism and compassion, Mikva suggests, depends on how ideas are interpreted and applied in the context of everyday life. To make her case, Mikva reveals how Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions have wrestled with concepts such as chosenness, election, reward, and punishment in ways both beneficial and brutal. For instance, each religion takes "the concept of reward and punishment" portrayed on "the divine plane" to create a "parallel system of human justice": Israel imitated their God with a system "punishing measure for measure"; Christianity "promises the kingdom of God to those who provide support for people in need, and age-long punishment to those who do not"; and the Koran "attaches eternal consequences to divine judgment." With a particular focus on the textual sources of each tradition--Torah, New Testament, and Qur'an--Mikva illustrates how religious ideas can be used to include or exclude, enslave or liberate, and inspire hate for the supposed religious "other." Unfortunately, Mikva's focus on Abrahamic religions leaves out insights from Hindu, Buddhist, and indigenous traditions. This cogent work provides a promising platform for interreligious engagement, particularly for interfaith academics. (Nov.)

Booklist Review

Religion has been among the strongest forces shaping human existence, whether encouraging followers to acts of charity and generosity, or acts of hostility and violence against nonbelievers. Accordingly, religions include within their teachings a rich tradition of self-examination that allows followers to cast a critical eye on the ways faith can be used as a weapon or a balm. Religious scholar and rabbi Mikva explores these intellectual traditions in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, from scriptural foundations to thinkers of the present day. She examines uses of scripture, concepts of election or chosenness, and the frameworks around punishment and reward in each of the Abrahamic faith traditions, always emphasizing the vibrancy and diversity of thought as opposed to the presence of a single, consistent teaching. The presence of multiple readings is among the great strengths of any religion, Mikva argues, and scripture gives religious adherents the tools to question, reexamine, and refine their faith in a perpetual quest for righteous action. A generous and thought-provoking book about the power and uses of religious faith.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Rachel S. Mikva serves as the Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman Chair in Jewish Studies and the Senior Faculty Fellow of the InterReligious Institute at Chicago Theological Seminary. Rabbi Mikva went to teach and earn her PhD at Jewish Theological Seminary, focusing on rabbinic literature and the history of biblical interpretation. Her courses and research address a range of Jewish and comparative studies, with a special interest in the intersections of scripture, culture, and ethics.
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