Jerusalem in Memory and Eschatology - (Bloomsbury Studies in Religion, Space and Place) by Emma O'Donnell Polyakov (Hardcover)

About the Book

Shedding light on contemporary conflicts, this volume explores the connection between notions of sacred space and time in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim visions of the past and future of Jerusalem.

Book Synopsis

Investigating a range of eschatological ideologies, this volume explores the connection
between notions of sacred space and time in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim understandings
of Jerusalem.

The recognition of Jerusalem as a holy city both unites and divides Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam. While these three religious traditions share a reverence for the same ancient city, this
veneration leads more often to tension and violence than to commonality and cooperation.

Each of these religions draws heavily from religious memory and eschatological prophecies,
and sees Jerusalem as a site of past and future upheaval; however, the distinctions in their
visions imbue Jerusalem with meanings that reinforce conflicting and contested ideologies.
Offering multiple analyses of religious interpretations of the city and its sacred sites, this
volume explores these divergent visions of the remembered and anticipated Jerusalem.

Review Quotes

'An outstanding volume that captures a wide range of reflections on the meaning and energy of Jerusalem: "a place in time and a time in place." Contributors don't shy away from the hard issues - theologically or politically - and approach them with great scholarly acumen. Scripture, tradition, mysticism, modern ethnography, and even virtual reality find a place here.'
Jason Welle, Boston College, USA

'Placing Jerusalem in the matrix of time and place, this book reveals the dynamic meanings of Jerusalem in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim circles. Readers will discover in these chapters new insights and methodological approaches for thinking about Jerusalem as a shared and contested symbolic place.'
Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, Boston College, USA

'This is a fresh and penetrating look into some century-old questions associated with the city of Jerusalem and its religious status for the three monotheistic religions. It's a must read for anyone interested in the holy city and its conceptuality.'
Yaron Z. Eliav, University of Michigan, USA

About the Author

Emma O'Donnell Polyakov is a fellow at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, Finland and Associate Professor of the Interdisciplinary Study of Religion at Merrimack College, USA. She is also the author of The Nun in the Synagogue: Judeocentric Catholicism in Israel (2020) and Remembering the Future: The Experience of Time in Jewish and Christian Liturgy (2015), and the editor of Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Interreligious Hermeneutics (2018).