David, I included a disclaimer going into this discussion, that my account of the Jewish rabbi should not be given the weight of a case study. You can choose to ignore that fact if you like. Nevertheless, I have since learned enough about the state of contemporary Judaism to feel justified in having used this man as an example of what I perceive to be problematic in a greater Jewish mindset.
You will receive no defense from me in regards to your comments pertaining to my hermeneutic. I am very happy to be included in the same company as "Tom" Wright. Bill ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 11:44 AM Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Judaism and Theology > Bill wrote: > > ... Hence both groups are in effect stationed very > > much in the now, having not the theological framework > > to sustain an optimistic outlook upon future -- and this > > even though their theologies vary quite distinctively one > > from the other. More to the point, this, it seems to me, > > is all quite unrelated to the deliberately "Hebrew mindset" > > of my interpretive hermeneutic. > > You seem to be using a rather broad brush. You offered an example of a Jew > you met who does not believe in the resurrection, and you use that anecdote > to characterize the Jewish mindset. I was trying to point out that this is > not a representative view in Judaism. I was trying to be kind here, but now > feel compelled to put the concept forth a little stronger. [Where is Slade > when we need him? :-)] One of the thirteen articles of faith of Maimonides > is the resurrection of the dead. He taught this based upon the book of > Daniel and claimed that no Jew could interpret this other than literally. > He taught that there was no Jewish faith nor attachment to Jewish faith > without the belief in the resurrection of the dead. In addition, other > articles of the Jewish faith that he outlined include the belief in divine > judgment (reward and retribution), and the belief in the arrival of Messiah > which precipitates the resurrection of the dead. There is a plethora of > Jewish writing that concerns an optimistic outlook on the future, but > because the outcome of that judgment is viewed to be dependent upon what we > do in the here and now, Judaism takes a more practical approach than much of > modern Christianity does. Modern Christianity tends to emphasize grace to > such an extreme that most theological frameworks seem to focus more on > rhetoric concerning an optimism of the future than on how we should now > live. Historical Christianity is another matter. > > Your interpretive hermeneutic that invokes the "Hebrew mindset" appears to > me to be something called upon to bat down ideas that come from Hellenistic > Judaism or Greek thought. If there is something more than this to your > interpretations of Scripture, please explain it to me. I tend to consider > this hermeneutic principle to be faulty in the way that it has been used by > Tom Wright and others in this forum. > > Peace be with you. > David Miller. > > > ---------- > "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org > > If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed. > > ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
