homework reading

1-Huston Smith wrote: "What lifted the Jews from obscurity to permanent religious greatness was their passion for meaning." In the follow essay, please refer to the text and write a brief paragraph each on 4 of the following themes: (CHOOSE FOUR)

*Meaning in God

*Meaning in Creation

*Meaning in Human Existence

*Meaning in History

*Meaning in Morality

*Meaning in Justice

*Meaning in Suffering

*Meaning in Messianism

2- Please summarize Huston Smith's discussion of "Revelation" in the assigned chapter. What is revelation and what kind of God was revealed?

3-What does it mean to say that the Jews are God's "Chosen People" according to Smith? What tensions does this identification raise, according to Smith?

4-Smith argues that there have been "two agonizing problems for the Jews" in the Twentieth century.  Please state what they are.  What makes these particular problems especially difficult for Judaism?