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The Hermeneutics of Jewish Political Thought

Christine Hayes discusses how the study of primary Jewish texts contributes to contemporary political and moral debates.
©agsandrew/stock.adobe.com
©agsandrew/stock.adobe.com
Dr. Christine Hayes is a Senior Fellow of the Kogod Research Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. She is the Sterling Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University, specializing in talmudic-midrashic studies. She received a BA in the Study of Religion, summa cum laude, from Harvard University and both an MA and PhD from the University of California Berkeley, Department of Near Eastern Studies. Her most recent book, What’s Divine about Divine

In this elective session, Christine Hayes discusses how the study of primary Jewish texts (Tanakh and Hazal) contributes to contemporary political and moral debates. Why do we turn to ancient sources when engaging contemporary concerns? What are hoping to find — permission or authentication? clarity or complexity? How do we deal ethically and honestly with texts that make us uncomfortable? Are there principles for navigating the inevitable gap between the world of the texts and the world of the modern reader?

This program was recorded during our two-week symposium on Judaism, Citizenship & Democracy in October 2020.

 

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The End of Policy Substance in Israel Politics