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Select this Book	Alpert, Rebecca T. and Jacob J. Staub. Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach. Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Press. 2000. ISBN: 093545750X. This book, which defines the newest denomination within Judaism as developed by Mordecai Kaplan, provides an overview of Reconstructionism.
Select this Book	Armstrong, Karen. A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Gramercy. 2004. ISBN: 0517223120. This searching, profound comparative history of the three major monotheistic faiths fearlessly illuminates the sociopolitical ground in which religious ideas take root, blossom and mutate. Armstrong, a British broadcaster, commentator on religious affairs and former Roman Catholic nun, argues that Judaism, Christianity and Islam each developed the idea of a personal God, which has helped believers to mature as full human beings. Yet Armstrong also acknowledges that the idea of a personal God can be dangerous, encouraging us to judge, condemn and marginalize others. Recognizing this, each of the three monotheisms, in their different ways, developed a mystical tradition grounded in a realization that our human idea of God is merely a symbol of an ineffable reality. To Armstrong, modern, aggressively righteous fundamentalists of all three faiths represent "a retreat from God." She views as inevitable a move away from the idea of a personal God who behaves like a larger version of ourselves, and welcomes the grouping of believers toward a notion of God that "works for us in the empirical age."
Select this Book	Armstrong, Karen. The Battle for God. Knopf. 2000. ISBN: 0679435972. Former nun and A History of God iconoclast Armstrong delves deeply once again into the often violent histories of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, this time exploring the rise of fundamentalist enclaves in all three religions. Armstrong begins her story in an unexpected, though brilliant, fashion, examining how the three faiths coped with the tumultuous changes wrought by Spain's late-15th-century reconquista. She then profiles fundamentalism, which she views as a mostly 20th-century response to the "painful transformation" of modernity. Armstrong traces the birth of fundamentalism among early 20th-century religious Zionists in Israel, biblically literalist American Protestants and Iranian Shiites wary of Westernization. Armstrong sensitively recognizes one of fundamentalism's great ironies: though they ostensibly seek to restore a displaced, mythical spiritual foundation, fundamentalists often re-establish that foundation using profoundly secular, pseudo-scientific means ("creation science" is a prime example). Armstrong is a masterful writer, whose rich knowledge of all three Western traditions informs the entire book, allowing fresh insights and comparisons. Her savvy thesis about modernization, however, could be improved by some attention to gender issues among fundamentalists. The book is also occasionally marred by a condescending tone; Armstrong attacks easy Protestant targets such as Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart (whose name she misspells) and claims that fundamentalists of all stripes have "distorted" and "perverted" their faiths. Despite its underlying polemic, this study of modernity's embattled casualties is a worthy and provocative read.
Select this Book	Borowitz, Eugene B. Renewing the Covenant: A Theology of the Postmodern Jew. Jewish Publication Society. 1998. ISBN: 0827606273. This book is a powerful theological statement on liberal Judaism that encourages study, reflection and response for those concerned with major Jewish issues..
Select this Book	Buber, Martin. I and Thou. Free Press. 1971. ISBN: 0684717255. A seminal work that discusses our relationship to God and to the world. "I-thou" contrasts with "I-it," the more common type of relations in our modern world..
Select this Book	Gillman, Neil. Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the Modern Jew. Jewish Publication Society. 1992. ISBN: 0827604033. Gillman addresses the theological question of retaining the sacredness of Judaism in modern times..
Select this Book	Kaplan, Mordecai. Judaism As A Civilization. Jewish Publication Society. 1994. ISBN: 0827605293. Written by the creator of the Reconstructionist philosophy, this work is republished with a new introduction by Arnold Eisen. Kaplan discusses the challenges facing American Jews and maintains that Judaism is more than a religion;it is a civilization.
Select this Book	Klinghoffer, David. The Discovery of God: Abraham and the Birth of Monotheism. Doubleday. 2003. ISBN: 0385499736. Using Jewish tradition (oral and written) to flesh out the account of Abraham's life in Genesis, Klinghoffer paints an incredibly vibrant picture of the the patriarch. As he tells this story, he also provides fascinating discussions of the cannons of biblical exegesis, rabbinical scholarly traditions, and the sources of conflict between traditional and modernist scholars. This is weighty stuff, but Klinghoffer writes so beautifully, and has such an eye for the interesting detail, that the book never sags--rather, it soars. The author structures the book as a biography of Abraham, interleaving biblical and midrashic tales along with selected historical/archaeological evidence (while remaining contemptuously dismissive of those who take a primarily historical approach to the Bible). Jewish oral tradition provides a wealth of instructive anecdotes with which to flesh out the terse Biblical tale, and the author demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of the literature. At times the dense, discursive, and often bizarre stories overwhelmed the narrative flow and made it difficult to discern the author's main points. Overall this book is a fascinating journey through the life of the man who Jews, Christians, and Muslims all can rightfully call "Father Abraham." It is highly recommended.
Select this Book	Kushner, Lawrence. God Was In This Place and I, I Did Not Know: Finding Self, Spirituality and Ultimate Meaning. Jewish Lights. 1991. ISBN: 1879045052. Helping to understand who God is and who we are. The book contains, for example, interpretations of Jacob's dream found in Genesis and opens a window of spirituality..
Select this Book	Soloveichik, Haym. The Lonely Man of Faith. Three Leaves . 2005. ISBN: 0385514085. An exploration of the nature of faith by the revered Orthodox rabbi. He investigates "aloneness" using the example of a person of faith whom he deems "alone" in our narcissistic, technologically oriented, utilitarian society.
Select this Book	Telushkin, Joseph. Biblical Literacy: The Most Important People, Events, and Ideas of the Hebrew Bible. William Morrow & Co. 1997. ISBN: 0688142974. Telushkin retells the Bible's tales in a way that will acquaint the reader with each event's most important details and gleans from them insights about living: how to raise children, honor parents, serve God, resist evil leaders and more.
Select this Book	Telushkin, Joseph. Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History. William Morrow & Co. 1991. ISBN: 0688085067. Traditionalist Rabbi Telushkin presents 364 brief explanations of the most important concepts and topics concerning Judaism, Jews, and their history and culture. Each entry runs from one to three pages in length. Basic religious terms, ethics, historical events, religious texts, Jewish personalities, and more are covered in a lively, popular style. A useful feature is that each entry is followed by a short bibliography of further readings on the subject. Despite the occasional superficiality of its coverage, this book is a useful introductory course for Jewish and non-Jewish "illiterates" from teenagers on up. A useful addition for general Judaica collections.
Select this Book	Winsten, Joseph. Moses Meets Israel: The Origins of One God. Rumford Inc. 1999. ISBN: 0966340604. This work explores the origins of monotheism and the early history of Israel. It looks at the Bible as a living record of history and examines the sources of faith. The ancient scribes provided the raw material of the Bible by faithfully recording all the peoples' traditions despite inherent ambiguities and contradictions. To this, Winsten applies textual criticism, contemporary scientific data, and rational analysis, all of which yield a more coherent picture of early Israel.

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