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Punishment and Freedom: The Rabbinic Construction of Criminal Law (Divinations: Rereading Late Ancient Religion) |
Author: Devora Steinmetz
Published: 2008-05-13 |
List price: $55.00
Our price: $55.00
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As of: January 05th, 2009 09:15:59 PM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 A Worthwhile Read
In Professor Devora Steinmetz's new book "Punishment and Freedom," her acumen is made accessible to the reader through her comprehensible writing. This book is an insightful journey into the legal self-understanding of the Sages of the Mishnaic and Talmudic period. Examining choice passages from the Talmud, Professor Steinmetz uncovers a variety of legal models with which the Sages were familiar, specifically different variations of natural law. This becomes significant in light of Professor Steinmetz's basic thesis; that the Sages' legal system is not compelled by natural law, but rather by a command based system. The Sages did not merely inherit a specific system and apply it by rote, but rather were aware of various models, and nevertheless chose to trek their own course. This contrast is most salient in the Rabbinical discussion regarding the differences between the Noahide laws and the Sinaitic laws.
If there is one fault in this book, it lies not in the author's analysis but in the inconsistent nature of the material being analyzed. Creating a global theory for as diverse a corpus as Rabbinic literature is bound to overlook or ignore certain passages that express contrary theories. Yet Professor Steinmetz recognizes this, and limits her discussion to the passages cited in the book. A great read!
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