Jonathan Magonet – författare

Do men and women read the Scriptures differently? Do they bring different concerns and presuppositions to the text, use different methods? read with different eyes? And should they? These are some of the basic questions addressed in this book. Searching the Scriptures is a feminist introduction, and it differs from any book in that genre ever written. It charts a comprehensive approach to feminist interpretation and prepares the way for a second volume which will engage in critical feminist commentary on the Christian Testament and other early Christian writings. The two-volume commentary project grew out of a five-year-long series of discussions in the "Women in the Biblical World" section of the Society of Biblical Literature, involving feminist scholars from all over the world. Their aim was to explore the ambivalent feminist legacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton's The Woman's Bible, the centenary of which falls in 1995. Like that volume, Searching the Scriptures underlines the political character of biblical interpretation. However, it does not adopt the conceptual and methodological approach of The Woman's Bible, nor, like another recent study, does it limit its theoretical focus to gender. Rather, it seeks to be inclusive, ecumenical and multicultural. It brings together the best in contemporary feminist biblical and historical studies to explore critical issues of perspective, method and communication. This first volume explores the many facets of feminist hermeneutics, outlines modes of enquiry and theological approaches, samples the history of interpretation by women, and shows possible ways forward for feminist biblical studies for both worship and teaching. ELISABETH SCHUSSLER FIORENZA is the Krister Stendahl Professor of Harvard Divinity School and the first woman president of the Society of Biblical Literature.

In this collection of short pieces based on broadcasts the author carried out for German radio, the selected biblical passage for each week becomes a springboard for exploring issues ranging from political leadership to spiritual journeys.

Rabbi Magonet's love of the Hebrew Bible developed whilst studying to be a Rabbi. Studying the Bible became a source of comfort, challenge and religious growth, without sacrificing the importance of the scientific approaches of study. This book opens up the Bible so that all readers will find their perspective and understanding changed.

After teaching the Psalms for over twenty years, Magonet has found very little on rabbinical interpretation, ancient, mediaeval or modern. This is an introduction to the Hebrew text that gives access to the richness and complexity of the language of the Psalms to the non-Hebrew reader. Jonathan Magonet is Principal of Leo Baeck College, London.

A Rabbi Reads the Torah distils a lifetime of Bible study by a Jewish scholar devoted to popularising the study of the Hebrew Bible in its original language, helped by the wealth of centuries of Jewish interpretation and debate, as well as the best of modern literary approaches. The Jewish tradition of reading a section of the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, on a weekly basis during the course of single year, is a challenge to find something new each time in a familiar text. These short studies, based on a popular radio series, offer unexpected insights into the very different materials to be found in these Biblical books, as well as indicating their relevance to the realities of personal, social and political life today. Rabbi Magonet’s personal engagement in interfaith dialogue opens the world of Jewish tradition to the widest audience of those within and beyond our different faith communities.

Every religious community has been affected by the "sexual revolution". The conflict between contemporary attitudes and traditional practices has led to major divisions and controversies, particularly when focused on issues such as homosexuality. This is the first attempt to take abroad look at both the Jewish pioneers of modern sexual thought and the impact of the revolution on our understanding of past Jewish practices and culture. For the first time the writings of leading scholars in the field from the United States and the United Kingdom have been brought together to explore these topics, and the book is essential reading for those academically or professionally engaged in areas ranging from counseling and pastoral work, to religious and social studies.

Every religious community has been affected by the "sexual revolution". The conflict between contemporary attitudes and traditional practices has led to major divisions and controversies, particularly when focused on issues such as homosexuality. This is the first attempt to take abroad look at both the Jewish pioneers of modern sexual thought and the impact of the revolution on our understanding of past Jewish practices and culture. For the first time the writings of leading scholars in the field from the United States and the United Kingdom have been brought together to explore these topics, and the book is essential reading for those academically or professionally engaged in areas ranging from counseling and pastoral work, to religious and social studies.