Whose Law? Christians and Jews Rethink the Pharisees

A program of Fordham’s IRLLW and Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue at JTS

Throughout the centuries, in Christian writings and homilies, the Pharisees have been called legalistic, money-loving, self-righteous hypocrites. That definition has become a label applied to Jews in general as well as any persons or groups the speaker or writer despised. For Jews, however, the Pharisees are respected teachers of the past who are in some way the predecessors of all forms of modern Judaism.
Who were the Pharisees, really? And why does this question matter today?

Speakers

Professor Amy-Jill Levine, Hartford International University for Religion and Peace

Professor Joseph Sievers, Pontifical Biblical Institute

Professor Shaye J. D. Cohen, Harvard University

Professor Angela Kim Harkins, Boston College

This joint event of Fordham’s Institute on Religion, Law, and Lawyer’s Work and Jewish Theological Seminary was also supported by AJC – American Jewish Committee