JUDAISM IN BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Studies in Comparative Social Science
A series edited by Stephen K. Sanderson
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Plunging to Leviathan? Exploring the Worlds Political Future, Robert Bates Graber (2005)
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Studying Societies and Cultures: Marvin Harriss Cultural Materialism and Its Legacy, edited by Lawrence A. Kuznar and Stephen K. Sanderson (2007)
The Supernatural and Natural Selection: The Evolution of Religion, Lyle B. Steadman and Craig T. Palmer (2008)
Judaism in Biological Perspective: Biblical Lore and Judaic Practices, edited by Rick Goldberg (2008)
Conflict Sociology: A Sociological Classic Updated, by Randall Collins, updated and abridged by Stephen K. Sanderson (2008)
JUDAISM IN BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
BIBLICAL LORE AND JUDAIC PRACTICES
Edited by Rick Goldberg
First published 2009 by Paradigm Publishers
Published 2016 by Routledge
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Judaism in biological perspective : biblical lore and Judaic practices / Rick Goldberg, editor.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-59451-563-7 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-59451-564-4 (paperback : alk. paper)
1. Judaism and science. 2. Religion and science. I. Goldberg, Rick. II. Title: Biblical lore and Judaic practices.
BM538.S3J77 2008
296.375dc22
2008005909
Designed and Typeset in Adobe Garamond by Straight Creek Bookmakers.
ISBN 13 : 978-1-59451-563-7 (hbk)
ISBN 13 : 978-1-59451-564-4 (pbk)
I have been blessed by the transforming influence of two outstanding teachers, Rabbi Yitz Greenberg and Dr. Lyle Steadman. Without their willingness to reach out, my ability to envision this book would never have developed.
I would also like to acknowledge the helpful comments of Rabbi Eliezer Langer, Prof. Esther Raizen, and Marsha Walker during the preparation of this book.
Contents
Rick Goldberg
Michael Satlow
Laura Betzig
David Barash
Melvin Konner
Rick Goldberg
Craig Palmer, Lyle Steadman, and Rick Goldberg
Amotz Zahavi
Rick Goldberg
Richard Sosis
How This Book Came About
I N GRADUATE SCHOOL MANY YEARS AGO, I took a required course in sociological theory taught by a professor who thought social science should require the same exacting theory and hard data as natural science. He insisted that biological theory be the primary source for all explanations of human social action. That seminar kindled my desire to follow closely discoveries as they emanate from the fields of evolutionary psychology and anthropology.
My interest in sociology of religion, especially Judaism, began much earlier. Over the years, my increasing Judaic literacy, combined with my enthusiasm for the power of natural and sexual selection to explain the living world, stirred me to consider how bridges might be built between the two. Assuming evolutionary theory should be applied to human behavior generally, then its application to the values and behaviors of Judaism could prove interesting. As I searched to see if this approach had been used elsewhere, I noticed that, while there were books connecting Judaism to physics and cosmology, there were none interpreting Judaism knowledgeably and respectfully through the lens of biological theory. After deciding it might be timely to develop such a book, I began putting together my own thoughts while soliciting those of well-respected scholars of Judaism and biological psychology/anthropology.
Assembling and editing this book has been a labor of love. My intention is to bridge, where possible, the deep chasm between Darwinism and the religious principles/behaviors of Judaism. Like all structurally sound bridges, this one must be built from the ground up, one supporting component at a time. Relating religion to science and vice versa is a tricky business given the quarrelsome rhetoric swirling around the differing perceptions of mankind in the natural world. My hope is that this book makes a positive contribution to what I see as a worthwhile effort.
Why Explore Aspects of Judaism from a Biological Perspective?
D OES BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE REALLY DISPROVE RELIGION? Can there be cases of coexistence and even compatibility between natural science and religious behaviors? This books premise is that the mutuality between the two not only exists but deserves to be fully revealed.
Using the Passover phraseology, why is this book so different from all other books about science and religion? In all other books, the conflict between evolution and faith takes center stage. In this book, we refrain from dipping even once into this omnipresent, 150-year-old disputation.
This book is also different because our method of analysis is novelthe dispassionate focusing of biological theory on selected aspects of the history, ideas, and practices of the Jewish religion. Our respectful scrutiny of these objects of study should come as a relief to those weary of the endless debate between Darwinians and defenders of the Bible. In these pages, biology asks permission to speak about Judaism, and that permission is respectfully granted.
Biology-related stories appear daily in the popular press to satisfy the public hunger for information about genes found to be associated with common diseases and behaviors. As a reader with interest in natural science, you probably have a strong measure of confidence in scientific method and its many achievements. If, at the same time, you are intrigued by Judaism, although perhaps not that familiar with it, these biological interpretations can serve as a point of entry for understanding this ancient and modern way of religious life. For those with some Judaic knowledge, there are biological constructions in these chapters that you will not see elsewhere, because these authors delve with creativity into regions of intersection between Judaism and biological thinking. A major purpose of this book is to introduce recent scholarship on human evolution to readers who have an ongoing interest in Judaism and/or the Jewish people. This perspective may also suggest new approaches for readers well versed in evolutionary theory. If you like reading about natural science and appreciate Judaism, this book was written for you.
