Download Judaism

Judaism
Huston Smith
The World’s Religions
How did the Jews differ from their
neighbors in envisioning
The Other?
How did the Hebrew Bible view the
differences between their God and
the Middle Eastern gods?
So why was this monotheism so
significant?
(focus)
What does Smith call the “supreme
achievement of Jewish thought”?
(p.275)
What was the Jewish view of
creation (re: meaning in creation)?
Contrast the Jewish view of the
physical aspects of existence vs.
those of other philosophies, esp.
those of the East.
How does Smith describe the
dichotomy of humans? (What are
we made of?)
How did the Hebrews view the
events of history? (What was their
purpose?)
How did the Hebrews view events
of history as “unique”?
Smith presents Judaism as a
religion that is concerned with
social change and justice. How did
this differ from the polytheistic
religions that surrounded them
geographically?
What are the four danger zones in
human life in regards to morality
that Smith outlines?
How are the Ten Commandments
similar to the book of Genesis?
What are the two meanings of the
word “prophet”?
Stages of Prophets in Judaism:
-Prophetic Guilds
-Individual Pre-Writing Prophets
-Writing Prophets
(Also, what belief did they all have in common?)
What meaning did the Jews find in
suffering? Why was it necessary to
have this belief, according to
Smith?
Why is ritual important?