MACMILLAN Exploring Mishnah's World(s): Social Scientific Approaches

Review “This book offers a fascinating contemporary perspective on the fundamental document of rabbinic Judaism, the Mishna.  The social scientific methodology adopted by its authors makes the book a useful and significant supplement to other scholarly approaches to the Mishna.  The volume’s significance greatly exceeds the sum of its parts and it should be read by anyone interested in exploring the foundations of rabbinic Judaism.” (Ira Robinson, Chair in Canadian Jewish Studies and Director, Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies, Concordia University, Canada) From the Back Cover This book provides a new conceptual and methodological framework for the social scientific study of Mishnah, as well as a series of case studies that apply social science perspectives to the analysis of Mishnah's evidence. The framework is one that takes full account of the historical and literary-historical issues that impinge upon the use of Mishnah for any scholarly purposes beyond philological study, including social scientific approaches to the materials. Based on the framework, each chapter undertakes, with appropriate methodological caveats, an avenue of inquiry open to the social scientist that brings to bear social scientific questions and modes of inquiry to Mishnaic evidence. About the Author Simcha Fishbane is Professor of Jewish studies at the Touro College and University System, USA. Calvin Goldscheider is Ungerleider Professor Emeritus of Judaic Studies and Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Brown University, USA. Jack N. Lightstone is Professor of History at Brock University and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Religion at Concordia University, Canada.