Interest in the Jews and Judaism, in antiquity and beyond, extends far beyond university classrooms and scholarly monographs, as important as these activities are. One of my goals as a teacher and scholar is to respond to this interest by presenting the results of my research in ways and forums that are accessible to this wider audience.
Judaism
Creating Judaism: History, Tradition, Practice (Columbia University Press, 2006) is an attempt to grapple with the meaning of "Judaism" and Jewish traditions. According to the publisher's catalogue description:
How can we define "Judaism," and what are the common threads uniting ancient rabbis, Maimonides, the authors of the Zohar, and modern secular Jews in Israel? Michael L. Satlow offers a fresh perspective on Judaism that recognizes both its similarities and its immense diversity. Presenting snapshots of Judaism from around the globe and throughout history, Satlow explores the links between vastly different communities and their Jewish traditions. He studies the geonim, rabbinical scholars who lived in Iraq from the ninth to twelfth centuries; the intellectual flourishing of Jews in medieval Spain; how the Hasidim of nineteenth-century Eastern Europe confronted modernity; and the post-World War II development of distinct American and Israeli Jewish identities. Satlow pays close attention to how communities define themselves, their relationship to biblical and rabbinic texts, and their ritual practices. His fascinating portraits reveal the amazingly creative ways Jews have adapted over time to social and political challenges and continue to remain a "Jewish family."
You can also read an excerpt from the book, and look at discussion questions. There is also a pdf version of the glossary.
I maintain a website devoted to the book, where I also provide supplementary resources for both students and instructors.
Continuing Education
I regularly teach the rabbinics segment of Me'ah, an intensive adult-education program administered by Hebrew College. A syllabus for this course can be found here.
I have lectured widely at universities, synagogues, churches, and community organizations. Topics have included: "Why Marry? Ancient Jewish Perspectives on Marriage"; "What is Judaism?"; "Sexuality and Judaism"; "Jesus and the Talmud"; "Fruit and the Fruit of Fruit: Jews and Charity in Antiquity." For more information, please contact me.
Other Resources and Initiatives
I have recently launched a podcast, entitled "From Israelite to Jew." The content more or less mirrors that of my course at Brown, "The Beginnings of Judaism." In the podcast I trace the history of Jews and Judaism from the beginning of the Second Temple through its destruction. It can be accessed via iTunes or here.
I recently published an essay entitled, "The Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Talmud," which can be found in the online publication, Zeek. A fuller version that they asked me to cut considerably can be found here, and my reading of the short version can be heard here.
Public Education