Jewish Liturgy

How do Jews pray and why? What do the prayers mean? From where did this liturgy come and what challenges does it face today? Such questions and many more, spanning the centuries and continents, have driven the study of Jewish liturgy. But just as the liturgy has changed over time, so too have the questions asked, the people asking them, and the methods used to address them. Jewish Liturgy: A Guide to Research enables the reader to access the rich bibliography now available in English. In this volume, Ruth Langer, an expert on Jewish liturgy, provides an annotated description of the most important books and articles on topics ranging historically from the liturgy of the Second Temple period and the Dead Sea Scrolls to today, addressing the synagogue itself and those gathered in it; the daily, weekly, and festival liturgies and their components; home rituals and the life cycle; as well as questions of liturgical performance and theology. Introductions to every section orient the reader and provide necessary background.Christians seeking to understand Jewish liturgy, either that of Jesus and the early church or that of their Jewish contemporaries, will find this volume invaluable. It’s also an important reference for anyone seeking to understand how Jews worship God and how that worship has evolved over time.

Boston College professor Rabbi Langer presents a comprehensive bibliography of works available in English that address the origins, development, meanings, context, and approaches to Jewish liturgy 'from its prehistory in the Second Temple period to today.' Over 1,000 annotated entries are organized by historical era and theme. The introduction provides an overview of the liturgy and commentaries that developed around it. Topics are introduced in their historical or scholarly context, then delineated into related subtopics. For example, the chapter 'Second Temple-Era Liturgy and Worship' includes subsections treating the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, Josephus, temple worship, and prayer language. Examples of other chapters include 'Life Cycle Rituals,' 'Women and Prayer,' and 'Comparisons with Early Christian Liturgy.' Entries are enumerated, with some works listed under multiple sections and properly cross-referenced. The brief annotations summarize each work and often include evaluations of their strengths, weaknesses, and scholarly level. The glossary, abbreviations key, and index are helpful additions. Originally proposed as a work 'geared primarily to Christian seminary contexts,' this book would be of most benefit to readers who have some background knowledge in the field. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; professionals/practitioners., This welcome volume is published primarily for a Christian readership interested in gaining a broad overview of Jewish liturgy. But it is a fruitful contribution for a variety of additional audiences as well: students and young scholars of rabbinic Judaism and Jewish liturgy, Jewish adult learning, and even autodidactic attempts to enter the academic field of Jewish prayer guided by an expert of the field who is uniquely able to balance scholarship with lucidity; someone also whose mastery of the various Jewish academic and religious perspectives is supplemented with familiarity with Christian liturgy too. Moreover, as a bibliography reflecting up-to-date liturgical research, this book is a worthy addition not just for beginners and for Christians entering the field, but for Jewish scholars, too. First of all, the bibliography testifies to the rapid growth of the field. Second, the realignment of structure relative to Tabory’s bibliography of the 1990s expresses an overall trend to expand the field in new and holistic ways. Jewish liturgy is coming of age as a focus in Jewish research; Langer is among the very few experts who are making it so; and her book is a guide to where the field is going., [Langer] has now provided important bibliographical guidance for those who wish to acquaint themselves with the subject, essentially by way of publications in English that are not too technical and recondite for the non-specialist. . . .Langer has provided a comprehensive treatment that goes well beyond the development of the statutory prayers of Judaism. She provides extensive lists of books and articles that will furnish the reader with replies to numerous questions, not only about their content but also about their origins, meaning and the mechanics of their recitation, as well as their physical contexts and manifestations. . . .The author's critical comments are generally sound and will undoubtedly be most helpful for all those with interests in Jewish liturgy. In addition, each chapter, and each section within the chapter, begins with introductory remarks on the theme being discussed. These will be warmly welcomed particularly by those less knowledgeable readers who wish to understand better the nature and role of worship within Judaism. . . .Langer has successfully completed what can only be described as the back-breaking construction of a major bibliographical machine tool. She deserves considerable credit for what is, overall, a balanced, accurate and broad coverage.

Ruth Langer is professor of Jewish studies in the Theology Department at Boston College and associate director of its Center for Christian–Jewish Learning. She received her rabbinic ordination and PhD from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati. She publishes widely in the fields of Jewish liturgy and Christian–Jewish relations.