ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Religion is fraught with ambiguity when it comes to peace and violence. There are texts in every major religious tradition that foster violence toward outsiders alongside those that foster peace toward them. Sometimes, the ambiguity can be found in a single text. That is, the very same text can inspire peace or violence toward others depending on how it’s read and interpreted. This talk will explore the dynamic described here in the classical texts of Judaism and why it occurs. It will also examine the relevance of these texts and their ambiguities to the current conflict in the Middle East.
LEARNING MATERIALS: bit.ly/2Kmrc8M
