• How Did The Central Religious Crisis Affect The Development Of Monotheism
1. From the perspective of biblical authors, what was the central religious crisis facing ancient Israel, and how did this crisis affect the development of monotheism?
Jewish scriptures are referred to in Hebrew as Tanakh, however, for many Christians, these books are referred to as the “Old Testament”. For the authors of the Hebrew Bible, the central conflict was over one issue: Would Israelites remain loyal to their one God(YHWH), or would they worship the deities of the nations that surrounded them? (Invitation to World Religions, pg.363). This was a question that many ask themselves for several centuries as they saw the people of Israel struggled to maintain their political and cultural independence. Eventually, the tides of imperial near …show more content…
Thousands of Israelites were forced to exile and some of them were just simply absorbed into the Assyrians and Babylonian empires. Yet despite the exile of the Israelites, they retained their national identity (Invitation to World religions, pg.364).
2. Compare and contrast Hasidism and Reform Judaism. How does each movement propose to renew Jewish faith and reinvigorate religious behavior?
Hasidism started with Baal Shem Tov in 1700. His given name was Israel ben Eliezer, but his disciples referred to him as the “Master of the Good Name”. For the Baal Shem Tov and his followers, God could be found everywhere, and everyone was at least potentially capable of spiritual communion with the creator. He taught, that no one had to be a scholar, they just had to be aware of God’s nearness and do acts of spiritual devotion and serve to make everyday life sacred (Invitation to World religions, pg. 375). No one was to humble or too corrupted to turn or return to God, who only needed a burning desire to perform His will. Ball Shem Tov main purpose was to show everyone what it was to live a life of intense religious
Jewish scriptures are referred to in Hebrew as Tanakh, however, for many Christians, these books are referred to as the “Old Testament”. For the authors of the Hebrew Bible, the central conflict was over one issue: Would Israelites remain loyal to their one God(YHWH), or would they worship the deities of the nations that surrounded them? (Invitation to World Religions, pg.363). This was a question that many ask themselves for several centuries as they saw the people of Israel struggled to maintain their political and cultural independence. Eventually, the tides of imperial near …show more content…
Thousands of Israelites were forced to exile and some of them were just simply absorbed into the Assyrians and Babylonian empires. Yet despite the exile of the Israelites, they retained their national identity (Invitation to World religions, pg.364).
2. Compare and contrast Hasidism and Reform Judaism. How does each movement propose to renew Jewish faith and reinvigorate religious behavior?
Hasidism started with Baal Shem Tov in 1700. His given name was Israel ben Eliezer, but his disciples referred to him as the “Master of the Good Name”. For the Baal Shem Tov and his followers, God could be found everywhere, and everyone was at least potentially capable of spiritual communion with the creator. He taught, that no one had to be a scholar, they just had to be aware of God’s nearness and do acts of spiritual devotion and serve to make everyday life sacred (Invitation to World religions, pg. 375). No one was to humble or too corrupted to turn or return to God, who only needed a burning desire to perform His will. Ball Shem Tov main purpose was to show everyone what it was to live a life of intense religious