Essay on Judaism by Chair of Religious Studies Department Recognized with Award

An article by Alan Avery-Peck, Kraft-Hiatt Professor in Judaic Studies and chair of the department of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross, received an Award of Excellent (first place) in the Theological or Scholarly Article category for 2006 by the Associated Church Press. The essay on Judaism was published in The Cresset, a journal covering religious matters.

The essay, titled “Creating an Authentic Faith: Traditions and Traditionalism in Judaism,” [PDF] examines how the history of Jews affected the formulation of their religion, Judaism, and shaped how they think about themselves and the world.

The comments received from the judge on the piece include: “An accessible scholarly presentation filling a missing chapter in most Christians’ knowledge. Navigates difficult materials well. Most Christians think ‘literal’ Leviticus is Judaism. This piece proves otherwise.”

The Associated Church Press is the oldest association for religious journalism in the nation and annually recognizes the best work of the Christian press. The awards were announced April 24 in Chicago.

“I am thankful for being in an intellectual setting that forces me to think about and explain Judaism in terms that take into account the religious experience of others and, equally important, that those others can understand. Along with this approach’s importance for inter-religious understanding, it seems to me to be central to better self-understanding, and for that I am grateful,” said Avery-Peck.

The current issue of The Cresset carries an essay titled “Developing American Saints; The Contribution of Catholic Higher Education to the American Experience” [PDF] by David O’Brien, Loyola Professor of Roman Catholic Studies at Holy Cross.

O’Brien is retiring at the end of the academic year after nearly 40 years of teaching American Catholic history and Catholic social and political thought at Holy Cross.

Related Information:

* The Cresset