
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, thousands of American Jews were drawn to the teachings of Christian Science. Viewing such attraction with alarm, American Reform Rabbis sought to counter Christian Science's appeal by formulating a Jewish vision of happiness and health. Unlike Christian Science, it acknowledged the benefits of modern medicine yet, sharing the belief in God as the true source of healing, similarly emphasized the power of visualization and affirmative prayer. Though the numbers of those formally affiliated with Jewish would remain small, its emphasis on the connection between mind and body influenced scores of rabbis and thousands if not hundreds of thousands of American Jews, predating contemporary Jewish interest in spiritual healing by more than seventy years. Examining an important and previously unwritten chapter in the story of American Judaism, this book sheds light on religious and social concerns of twentieth-century American Jewry, including ways in which adherence to Jewish Science helped thousands bridge the perceived gap between Judaism and modernity.
This book investigates the historical emergence and influence of Jewish Science as a response to the popularity of Christian Science among American Jews in the early twentieth century. Author Ellen M. Umansky, a scholar of Jewish history and religion, utilizes archival research and historical analysis to document how Reform rabbis developed a distinct Jewish framework for spiritual healing. She argues that this movement served as a vital bridge for American Jews attempting to reconcile traditional religious belief with the demands of modernity and medical science.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of American Jewish identity and the spiritual healing movements of the early twentieth century. Experts frequently highlight the book's contribution to filling a significant gap in the historiography of American religious life.
Page Count:
261
Publication Date:
2004-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190281405
ISBN-13:
9780190281403
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