The Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. This ethical dictum is a part of most of the world's religions and has been considered by numerous religious figures and philosophers over the centuries. This new collection contains specially commissioned essays which take a fresh look at this guiding principle from a comparative perspective. Participants examine the formulation and significance of the Golden Rule in the world's major religions by applying four questions to the tradition they consider: What does it say? What does it mean? How does it work? How does it matter?
Freshly examining the Golden Rule in broad comparative context provides a fascinating account of its uses and meaning, and allows us to assess if, how and why it matters in human cultures and societies.
Edited by:
Rabbi Jacob Neusner,
Bruce D. Chilton
Imprint: Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 23mm
Weight: 408g
ISBN: 9781847062956
ISBN 10: 1847062954
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 24 November 2008
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
"Preface 1. Introduction: Parsing Reciprocity: Questions for the Golden Rule, William Scott Green, University of Miami, USA 2. The Golden Rule in Ancient Israelite Scripture, Baruch A. Levine, New York University, USA 3. Alternatives to the Golden Rule: Social Reciprocity and Altruism in Early Archaic Greece, Carolyn Dewald, Bard College, USA 4. The Golden Rule in Graeco-Roman Religion and Philosophy, Robert Berchman, Dowling College, USA 5. The Golden Rule in Classical Judaism, Jacob Neusner, Bard College, USA 6. The Golden Rule in Zoroastrianism, Mahnaz Moazami, Columbia University, USA 7. The Golden Rule and its Application, Bruce D. Chilton, Bard College, USA 8. The Golden Rule as the Law of Nature, from Origen to Martin Luther Olivier du Roy, Paris, France 9. The Golden Rule in Islam, Th. Emil Homerin, University of Rochester, USA 10. The Formulation and Significance of the Golden Rule in Buddhism [I], Kristen Scheible, Bard College, USA 11. The Golden Rule in Buddhism [II], Charles Hallisey, University of Wisconsin, USA 12. A Hindu Golden Rule, in Context, Richard Davis, Bard College, USA 13. The Golden Rule in Confucianism, Mark A. Csikszentmihalyi, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA 14. ""Wired for Reciprocity:"" Some Concluding Reflections, William Scott Green, University of Miami, USA"
Jacob Neusner is a leading figure in the American academic study of religion. He revolutionized the study of Judaism and brought it into the field of religion, and he built intellectual bridges between Judaism and other religions, thereby laying the groundwork for durable understanding and respect among religions. He has advanced the careers of younger scholars and teachers through his teaching and publication programs. Neusner's influence on the study of Judaism and religion is broad, powerful, distinctive, and enduring. Bruce Chilton, New Testament and Judaic scholar, is Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. He is a co-author of The Body of Faith (Trinity), God in the World (Trinity), and Comparing Spiritualities (Trinity).
Reviews for The Golden Rule: The Ethics of Reciprocity in World Religions
After reading this collection, there can be little doubt that this powerful rule has had an enormous influence in shaping religious beliefs throughout the centuries and around the world. This study lends credence to the principle that religions have at their core certain overarching concepts that emphasize basic ethical teachings and that instruct believers to act morally and honorably. --Jewish Book World, Winter 2009 Neusner, Chilton, and their colleagues maintain a focused discipline on opening the conversation, entering the exploration, and generating questions for further study. One exits a reading of The Golden Rule with an expansive awareness of how the golden Rule starts with and extends beyond concern for self-dignity, invites expansive application beyond local kith and kin, invokes anticipatory action over simple reactive reciprocity, and urges people toward honor of the other and unitive human care. Review in Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol.25, no.2, 2010. Jewish Book World Quarterly Review