The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies

Description

The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies is a comprehensive survey of of the field - past, present and future. Providing an overview of the key theoretical and methodological issues, as well as practical guidance on researching, it is the ideal guide for advanced students in Jewish Studies. Topics covered include: - The Hebrew Bible - Medieval Jews and Judaism - Judaism and Modernity - Gender and Judaism - Judaism and Material Culture Survey essays from internationally-renowned scholars and teachers including Sergio DellaPergola, Elie Rekhess, and Leonard J. Greenspoon. Providing overviews of Jewish history and the development of Judaism, The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies also guides students through central issues that cut across historical periods. Practical tools include a period-specific bibliography, a chronology, maps, and a glossary of key terms and concepts. This is the essential guide for all students exploring the rich and dynamic field of Jewish Studies.

Dean Phillip Bell is Provost, Vice President, and Professor of Jewish History at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, Chicago, USA.

The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the field of Jewish Studies, or who is already working in the field. An essential reference, this book deserves a place in any academic library with a Jewish Studies section. Throughout the text is eminently readable and extremely informative and it is ideal for both students and scholars, as well as for non-academicians. * The Jewish Eye * [The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies] boldly seeks to introduce all the major areas of the discipline and give the reader a concise, informative and up-to-date account of the wide-ranging developments in each ... [It] proves to be a wealth of information and a very useful starting point for lay-person or specialist alike ... can be recommended as a first, non-overwhelming, port of call for all interested parties. * Journal of Semitic Studies * Dean Phillip Bell and the contributors deserve much credit for producing this excellent reader about the state and future of Jewish Studies. The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies serves as a useful introduction for students and scholars alike. The essays are well written, concise, and informative. In addition to tracing Jewish Studies from the biblical and rabbinical period to the present several topical essays cover more recent fields of study such as gender, demography, and Israel Studies. -- Tobias Brinkmann, Penn State University, USA The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies brings together some of the world's leading authorities on Jewish history, society, and culture to provide a rigorous, yet readable, resource for any student, whether in a traditional academic setting or in informal education. Particularly refreshing is the project's focus on the rise of Jewish Studies as a global phenomenon. The Companion's emphasis on the global reminds students that Jews in the past maintained a creative tension between the local culture of the places they lived and global Jewish connection through texts and language, and that Jewish Studies in the present appears around the world, but in each place manifests itself differently. The book is also particularly useful for its helpful maps, timelines, glossary, and bibliography. -- David Shneer, University of Colorado Boulder, USA