Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Defying more than 3,000 years of Torah tradition and belief, Greenberg, an Orthodox rabbi who recently publicized his homosexuality, embarks on a thorough, if questionable, trek to reevaluate the overt biblical prohibition of male-male relations. Central to his argument is a rereading of Leviticus 18:22, "Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is an abhorrence" (JPS translation) to be understood as "And (either a female or) a male you shall not sexually penetrate to humiliate [;] it is abhorrent." The story of Sodom's destruction, the love between David and Jonathan and the creation of Adam and Eve figure prominently as sources of new and interesting perspectives, yet they are all based on subjective evaluations that bear no textual confirmation. While he is obviously well versed in Torah knowledge and rabbinic law, Greenberg admits that he is "not a disinterested party on the matter of homosexuality"; indeed, many of his arguments stretch the truth or omit vital segments of biblical text to reach their desired conclusion, and, in addition, are fraught with expressions of unease such as "maybe" and "perhaps." This is not to say that his attempt bears no fruit. He effectively portrays the plight of closeted and openly gay Orthodox Jews who struggle daily with their sexual desires and with the knowledge that the Torah and the rabbis forbid homosexuality. While Greenberg's controversial biblical claims on this long-taboo topic may infuriate some and gratify others, his book arouses deep empathy for Orthodox homosexuals.
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Review

"Wrestling with God and Men—as useful for Christians as it is for Jews—not only brings new and fresh thinking about our current debate over homosexuality but interweaves theology and history with Greenberg's own personal journey in a way that is enlightening, instructive, and inspirational. I heartily recommend this book to Christians who wish to take their Hebrew scriptures seriously and who are willing to examine their own responses to this raging debate."—The Right Reverend V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire



"[Greenberg] effectively portrays the plight of closeted and openly gay Orthodox Jews who struggle daily with their sexual desires and with the knowledge that the Torah and the rabbis forbid homosexuality."—Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press; 1 edition (February 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299190900
• ISBN-13: 978-0299190903
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #921,229 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give a copy of this book to everyone whom you care about!, April 1, 2004

By	"glenng126" (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

"Wrestling with God and Men" is the most erudite, compelling, and utterly satisfying book on homosexuality in religion that I've ever read. Rabbi Greenberg weaves the scholarship of our ancestors into a glorious tapestry, demonstrating not just the fact of homosexuality within the fabric of Judaism, but the more fundamental necessity of this inclusion.

Rabbi Greenberg would seem to prefer we believe that he is like "Daniel the Tailor", the champion of the oppressed, who challenged his Rabbis for failing to balance their jurisprudence and values with the biblical concern for justice and fairness. (Greenberg, pg 212). However his holy scholarship suggests that Rabbi Greenberg is more like Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, former chief rabbi of Israel, who invited "Jews everywhere to return to their ancestral land and restore their ancient spirit" (Greenberg, pg 242).

In all likelihood, this book could not have been written in any other age. It needed the living experiences of an openly-gay Rabbinic mind to realize an honest gay perspective and approach to our sacred texts.

If you are considering buying this book, please buy several copies and donate them to your local Hillel, Chabad, Yeshiva and Shul. All people who are "wrestling with god" should read this book!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars should be widely read by people concerned with faith and sexuality, October 18, 2005

By	B. F. Mooney "biologist" (Mooresville, NC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book, while it may not be perfect or without some hesitencies and perhaps weaknesses, breaks important ground and is a work of courage. It should be read for that reason alone. It is a start that others can build on.

Just recently, I heard a prominent New Testment scholar speak in a seminar at a church on the vital, indeed pressing need for Christians to revist the entire question of the claimed biblical condemation of same-sex relationships. His arguments were very much anchored - not on theology - but on mistakes in interpretation of biblical words and phrases, based ultimately on flawed linguistic and (a)cultural misinterpretations. The parallels with Rabbi Greenberg's stuggle struck me; and all the more more so, when I saw the host Baptist church has a seminar WITH Rabbi Greenberg scheduled for November!

We must openly and honestly reconsider religious positions on the topic of homsexuality, and never has the time been more ripe for doing so. This is very appropriate to consider from several viewpoints, and yet another fruitful area for open and honest sharing of insights between Jewish and Christian communities. I believe OUR God - our common, one God - is first and foremost a God of infinite love, and that human love, betweeen two people, goes beyond mere or simple sexual orientation, that it is precious (as all love is) to our God.

Read the book; review the questions; and God bless all who do so with honesty and caring.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AT LAST, DIGNITY FOR TRADITIONAL JEWS!, January 30, 2005

By	B - See all my reviews

IT IS WITH GREAT JOY THAT I SALUTE RABBI STEVEN GREENBERG ON HIS MILESTONE OF "COMING OUT" AND ALSO ON WRITING THE BOOK: WRESTLING WITH GOD AND MEN. HAVING THE GUTS TO CONFRONT TRADITIONAL RELIGION WITH A SUBJECT MATTER LOATHED BY SO MANY IS MORE THAN UPLIFTING, IT IS SALVATION.

THE BOOK IS WELL WRITTEN, WARM, INTRIGUING, NOTWITHSTANDING SCHOLARLY. IT CREATES A SAFE HAVEN FOR JEWS (AND OTHERS) WHO MUST RECONCILE HOMOSEXUALITY WITH FAITH, BOTH BEING INTEGRAL TO THEIR EXISTENCE. ECHOING RABBI GREENBERG... HOW CAN GOD CREATE GAYS, AND THEN DOOM THEM? FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS, HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT A CHOICE, NOR IS THEIR INTENSE FAITH. IT SEEMS LIKE AFTER 3,300 YEARS OF JUDAISM, THE TIME IS RIPE FOR NEW BEGINNINGS, NEW DIALOGUES, INCLUSIVE RELIGION. THIS BOOK IS PERHAPS "THE BIBLE" FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS STRUGGLING TO MAKE SENSE OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND FAITH IN OUR CONDEMNATORY WORLD.

AT LAST, DIGNITY FOR TRADITIONAL JEWS!