1st Edition
Holiness and Society A Socio-Political Exploration of the Mosaic Tradition
Exploring the subtle political philosophy within the Biblical narrative, this book presents enduring insights that complement Ancient Greek philosophy for contemporary political distinctions – uncovering overlooked socio-political ideologies to provide a unique perspective alongside the classical philosophical tradition.
By adopting a sociological approach, Ronen Shovel interprets the Bible as a reflection of perspectives and ideologies, emphasizing the intricate dynamics between rulers and subjects, balancing justice, and power within societies. A key focus is the examination of holiness as a distinct political category, influencing institutions, ethics, justice, and even the use of force. This perspective challenges traditional religious scholarship, merging sociology with the concept of holiness.
Holiness and Society enriches political philosophy, religious studies, and sociology, broadening their boundaries and offering fresh perspectives, serving as a bridge between antiquity and modernity, providing valuable insights into contemporary political thought.
Acknowledgements
Foreword: On Sanctity, Politics, and Biblical Scholarship
Theoretical Introduction
1. And You Shall Keep My Covenant: The Covenant as Breeding Ground for the Jewish Political Idea
2. A Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation: The Jewish Political Idea
3. The Exodus As Political Model of Sanctification
4. The Tent of Meeting, Tabernacle, and the Transition from Impurity to Purity and Holiness
5. Institutions of Collective Holiness
6. Ceremonies of Collective Holiness
7. The Hebrew Constitution
8. The Euthyphro Dilemma and Jewish Holiness
Epilogue: The Biblical Vision of Collective Holiness
Bibliography
Biography
Ronen Shoval is a distinguished philosopher and the author of numerous articles in both English and Hebrew. His first book, Herzl’s Vision 2.0 (Mass 2013), explores the political philosophy of Zionism. He serves as the Dean of the Argaman Institute in Jerusalem and the head of the Herzl Advanced Program for Philosophy and Culture Studies. He has also served as a research fellow and lecturer in political philosophy at Princeton University.
