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Turner Publishing Company - Reuven Firestone

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108 pages

English

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What Does It Mean to Be "Chosen"? Why Did God Have to Choose?

“To be chosen can have a range of meaning from the mundane to the holy, but in all cases it means to be singled out and preferred over others. In a deep sense that permeates much or most of Western culture, having been chosen communicates a sense of something that is extraordinary, is transcendent, and entitles a reward. What is assumed in this sense of the term is that God has done the choosing and the reward is something that is unequaled, for what could possibly equal divinely ordained eternal happiness?”
—from the Introduction

Religious people who define themselves as monotheists have often advanced the idea that their relationship with God is unique and superior to all others. Theirs supersedes those who came before, and is superior to those who have followed. This phenomenon tends to be expressed in terms not only of supersessionism, but also “chosenness,” or “election.” Who is most beloved by God? What expression of the divine will is the most perfect? Which relationship reflects God's ultimate demands or desire?

In this fascinating examination of the religious phenomenon of chosenness, Reuven Firestone explores the idea of covenant, and the expressions of supersessionism as articulated through the scriptures of the three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He explores how and why the ongoing competition and friction between these religions came about, and offers thoughts about how to overcome it.

Introduction: The Language of Chosenness vii
1 In the Beginning … 1
2 Chosenness in the Ancient Near East 11
3 Best Practice Models and Religious Success 35
4 Chosenness and Covenant in the New Testament 57
5 Chosenness and Covenant in the Qur'an 73
6 Chosenness and Covenant in Rabbinic Literature 85
7 The Merit of the Ancients 91
8 The Legacy of Chosenness 115
9 Does Redemption Require Election? 131
Conclusion: Retaining Our Uniqueness while
Affirming the Other 147
Notes 151
Suggestions for Further Reading 157

Sujets

Religion

Christianisme

Philosophie et théologie

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, New York

Chosen people

Christianity and Islam

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

Informations

Publié par	Turner Publishing Company
Date de parution	18 janvier 2011
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781594733505
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0850€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Praise for Who Are the Real Chosen People? The Meaning of Chosenness in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam
With elegant concision and scrupulous fairness, Reuven Firestone has taken up the most contentious question in all of Western religious history and drawn off at least some of its poison. No teacher or serious student of the tangled relations among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam should be without this little book.
- Jack Miles , author, God: A Biography
Rabbi Firestone takes us on a journey through the three monotheistic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to uncover the meaning of chosenness. He makes a compelling argument against parochial interpretations of this important concept, and illustrates how erroneously it has been associated with the self-exaltation of one religious community or another. This book is both informative and thought provoking.
- Louay Safi , PhD , executive director, Leadership Development Center, Islamic Society of North America
With a rare depth and range of scholarly knowledge and theoretical sophistication as well as a sympathetic yet judicious eye, Reuven Firestone presents a portrait of the notion of chosenness in the three great Abrahamic Western religious traditions-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-in a manner that is both magisterial and accessible. Scholars and laypeople, believers and skeptics alike will profit greatly from this informative and thought-provoking book.
- Rabbi David Ellenson , PhD , president, Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion
As we enter a new era of interreligious dialogue, the concept of chosenness poses a serious problem. This is the first careful, fair, and thorough comparison of how the concept functions in the three major Abrahamic religions, all of which have their version of it. It will help move interreligious relations beyond the cliches in which it can sometimes become mired and into a needed honest grappling with the seemingly more intractable issues. It will be required reading for anyone interested in nurturing religious diversity in a globalizing world.
- Harvey Cox , Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard University
Reuven Firestone has waded into the most troubled waters of interreligious conflict and navigated them fairly. This is a highly readable and well-balanced treatment of the tough issues-chosenness and exclusive claims-that have long marred the great moral achievements of montheism. A worthwhile sourcebook for all who participate in dialogue.
- Dr. Arthur Green , rector, Hebrew College Rabbinical School; author, Seek My Face: A Jewish Mystical Theology and Ehyeh: A Kabbalah for Tomorrow
Who Are the Real Chosen People? raises a central discussion when examining the relationship between the three great Abrahamic faiths and interfaith dialogue. Rabbi Reuven Firestone has done the reader a favor by not glossing over the hard issues that confront us, rather offering a timely analysis of the concept of chosenness. The reader needs to engage with Firestone s clear and sympathetic arguments in order to make sense of what is happening in the world today. Rabbi Firestone is truly a leader of moral courage and vision for our troubled times.
- Akbar Ahmed , PhD , Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University
A fascinating topic and a highly stimulating exploration of chosenness in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Professor Firestone s research is thorough, and his discussion and conclusions provide much food for thought.
- Ghada Osman , PhD , director, Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies, San Diego State University
Who Are the Real Chosen People? The Meaning of Chosenness in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
2008 Hardcover Edition, First Printing 2008 by Reuven Firestone
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
For information regarding permission to reprint material from this book, please mail or fax your request in writing to SkyLight Paths Publishing, Permissions Department, at the address / fax number listed below or e-mail your request to permissions@skylightpaths.com .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Firestone, Reuven, 1952- Who are the real chosen people?: the meaning of chosenness in Judaism, Christianity and Islam / Reuven Firestone. p. cm. -(The center for religious inquiry series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-59473-248-5 (hardcover) ISBN-10: 1-59473-248-5 (hardcover) 1. Salvation. 2. Election (Theology) 3. Monotheism. I. Title. BL476.F57 2008 202'.2-dc22
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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SkyLight Paths, Walking Together, Finding the Way, and colophon are trademarks of LongHill Partners, Inc., registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Walking Together, Finding the Way Published by SkyLight Paths Publishing A Division of Longhill Partners, Inc. Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4, P.O. Box 237 Woodstock, VT 05091 Tel: (802) 457-4000 Fax: (802) 457-4004 www.skylightpaths.com
Contents
Introduction: The Language of Chosenness
1 In the Beginning ...
2 Chosenness in the Ancient Near East
3 Best Practice Models and Religious Success
4 Chosenness and Covenant in the New Testament
5 Chosenness and Covenant in the Qur an
6 Chosenness and Covenant in Rabbinic Literature
7 The Merit of the Ancients
8 The Legacy of Chosenness
9 Does Redemption Require Election?
Conclusion: Retaining Our Uniqueness while Affirming the Other
Notes
Suggestions for Further Reading

About SkyLight Paths
Copyright
Introduction
The Language of Chosenness
Choosing is something we do every day, from our choice of what to wear in the morning to our decision at the end of the day to turn out the light rather than read that next chapter. Choosing is an ordinary act. We choose which seat we prefer on the bus, which route to take to work, which pen to use to write this paragraph. To choose is to select something freely and after consideration. When a person chooses, that person shows a preference for one thing over something else.
Choosing is also limiting. It is an act of identifying, of distinguishing, of separating. Although it is possible to choose a few rather than one, it is understood generally as singling out. The act of choosing immediately establishes a hierarchy. What is chosen is somehow different than the others. Usually, that difference represents a higher location on the ladder. It can also mean choosing a loser, of course, but that would be unintentional; when you make a choice, you hope you are choosing a winner. Being chosen, therefore, would appear to be a special and positive status that places the chosen over and above the non-chosen.
If being chosen is generally a good thing, consider being chosen by God.
Jews, Christians, and Muslims-all three families of monotheistic religions-claim in one way or another to be God s chosen community. Christian theologians have sometimes referred to God s choosing for special favor as election. Whether called chosenness or election, the special nature of that divinely authorized status-its presumed superiority-has been glorified by religious civilizations when in positions of imperial power, and it has sustained religious communities suffering persecution. It has also made believers uncomfortable at times, especially in places where democracy, equality, and freedom are considered defining categories.
One important aspect of language is that every word has a range of meanings, often subtle, that affect its personality. When we use a word in speech, we are often affected unconsciously by that word s subterranean tones and shades of meaning that have become associated with it through usage. The way a word has been used, say, in a famous speech or story provides shades of meaning that native speakers naturally pick up. Those nuances then enter the life of the word as it continues to be used in speech and in writing. This is very much the case with the word chosen. In his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Languag e, Noah Webster used biblical language to support most of his definitions. For his definition of choose , he includes, To elect for eternal happiness; to predestinate to life. He cites Matthew 22:14, Many are called but few chosen, and Mark 13:20, For his elect s sake, whom he hath chosen. 1 This is a big jump from choosing between your beige or navy slacks.
To be chosen, then, can have a range of meaning from the mundane to the holy, but in all cases it means to be singled out and preferred over others. The criteria for having been chosen could vary, from size and gender to wisdom and experience, but in a deep sense that permeates much or most of Western culture (and conveyed by Webster s entry), having been chosen communicates a sense of something that is extraordinary, is transcendent, and entitles a reward. What is assumed in this sense of the term is that God has done the choosing and the reward is something that is unequaled, for what could possibly equal divinely ordained eternal happiness?
Those of us who live deeply within one of the three families of monotheism tend to accept the assumption of chosenness that is articulated within it at one level or another. It is good to believe that we live according to the will of God, and there is certainly nothing wrong about believing that we will receive divine reward for our religious activities or beliefs. For many of us, these beliefs represent deep and abiding aspects of who we are and what our purpose in life is. If we lived entirely within our religious communities and with no interaction with people of other faith traditions, we would most likely not give the notion of being chosen a second thought. But we li