Whose Father Abraham?

April 4, 2024

"It's a mistake to think we can peel away these post-biblical traditions—the Oral Torah, the teachings of Talmud and Midrash, for the Jews; the New Testament and church tradition for the Christians; or, for that matter, the Quran, the only scripture they have for Muslims. And, say, let's get back to the Abraham of Genesis. Well, the Abraham of Genesis is interpreted differently by Jews and Christians. And Genesis itself is not canonical scripture for Islam," says Professor Jon Levenson.

Professor Jon D. Levenson receiving the Barry Prize in receiving the Barry Prize at the Library of Congress on Nov. 8.

Harvard Divinity Professor Jon Levenson Awarded Barry Prize for Excellence in Scholarship

December 4, 2023

Jon D. Levenson, the Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies at Harvard Divinity School, received a 2023 Barry Prize from the American Academy of Sciences and Letters in recognition of his “intellectual excellence and courage.”... Read more about Harvard Divinity Professor Jon Levenson Awarded Barry Prize for Excellence in Scholarship

Vayera with Professor Jon Levenson

October 28, 2023

HDS Professor Jon Levenson asks whether Jewish tradition celebrates or condemns Avraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son.

Deuteronomy 6, 10 (Love) with Jon Levenson

December 7, 2022

Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies Jon Levenson talks about Deuteronomy 6 and 10, including: the content, translation, and importance of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6; the relationship between obedience, ritual, and love; the elaboration on and expansion of love in Deuteronomy 10; the relationship between the love and fear of God; and the detriments of a critical approach to biblical scholarship that excludes the love of its subject matter.

Resurrection: The Power of God for Christians and Jews

August 8, 2022

The resurrection of the dead is widely understood to have been a part of Christianity from its beginnings nearly 2,000 years ago, many people are surprised to learn that the Jews believed in resurrection long before the emergence of Christianity. In this interview, religious scholars and Harvard Divinity School Professors Kevin J. Madigan and Jon D. Levenson clarify confusions and dispel misconceptions about Judaism, Jesus, and Christian origins.

In a Country Shadowed by Death, God Gets a Pass. Why?

December 16, 2021

“This view, advanced by numerous theologians in one way or another, is the notion that the evils and sufferings we experience are part of a plan that yields a greater final good," says David Lamberth, HDS Professor of Philosophy and Theology.