Beth A. Berkowitz, "What Animals Teach us About Families: Kinship and Species in the Bible and Rabbinic Literature" (U California Press, 2026)

An episode of the New Books in Christian Studies podcast, hosted by Marshall Poe, titled "Beth A. Berkowitz, "What Animals Teach us About Families: Kinship and Species in the Bible and Rabbinic Literature" (U California Press, 2026)" was published on February 16, 2026 and runs 70 minutes.

February 16, 2026 ·70m · New Books in Christian Studies

0:00 / 0:00

Summary

Reading the Bible and rabbinic literature to reimagine the bonds between animals. Moving beyond debates about the ethics of animal consumption to focus on animals' intimate lives, Beth A. Berkowitz examines the contribution of religious traditions and sacred texts to contemporary conversations about animals in What Animals Teach us About Families: Kinship and Species in the Bible and Rabbinic Literature (U California Press, 2026). Reading the four "animal family" laws of the Bible alongside their rabbinic interpretations from ancient times to today, she examines the bonds that animals form with each other and reimagines family to include new forms of life and alternative modes of kinship. Humanitarian politics—and biblical law—tend to take for granted that human interests supersede animal interests and that our moral obligation extends only to avoiding unnecessary suffering, but necessity is determined by humans. What Animals Teach Us About Families looks at animal emotions, animal agency, family diversity, and human response to reconsider the obligations and opportunities the animal family presents. New books in late antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review Beth A. Berkowitz is Professor and Ingeborg Rennert Chair of Jewish Studies, Department of Religion, Barnard College Michael Motia teaches in Classics and Religious Studies at UMass Boston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Episode Description

Reading the Bible and rabbinic literature to reimagine the bonds between animals. Moving beyond debates about the ethics of animal consumption to focus on animals' intimate lives, Beth A. Berkowitz examines the contribution of religious traditions and sacred texts to contemporary conversations about animals in What Animals Teach us About Families: Kinship and Species in the Bible and Rabbinic Literature (U California Press, 2026). Reading the four "animal family" laws of the Bible alongside their rabbinic interpretations from ancient times to today, she examines the bonds that animals form with each other and reimagines family to include new forms of life and alternative modes of kinship. Humanitarian politics—and biblical law—tend to take for granted that human interests supersede animal interests and that our moral obligation extends only to avoiding unnecessary suffering, but necessity is determined by humans. What Animals Teach Us About Families looks at animal emotions, animal agency, family diversity, and human response to reconsider the obligations and opportunities the animal family presents. New books in late antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review Beth A. Berkowitz is Professor and Ingeborg Rennert Chair of Jewish Studies, Department of Religion, Barnard College Michael Motia teaches in Classics and Religious Studies at UMass Boston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

Apr 13, 2026 ·3m

Apr 13, 2026 ·4m

Apr 13, 2026 ·2m

Apr 13, 2026 ·4m

Apr 13, 2026 ·3m

Apr 13, 2026 ·5m

Similar Podcasts

The Greg Stier Youth Ministry Podcast Dare 2 Share The Greg Stier Youth Ministry Podcast - formally Gospelize with Greg Stier is the perfect podcast for any church leader especially youth Pastors, Youth Leaders, and Church Leaders. This podcast will help train and equip you as a leader in the church. Each episode will bring unique Christian voices to weigh in on the world. Look forward to a new episode on the last Tuesday of every month!Greg Stier is a champion for unleashing this generation with the Gospel. As the founder of Dare 2 Share Ministries, he is driven to help the Church activate Christian teenagers to reach their friends. In the last 30 years, Greg has trained millions of youth leaders and students on how to relationally engage their world with the Good News of Jesus. A much sought-after speaker, Greg is a former pastor, church planter, youth leader, as well as the author of numerous books.Write in question and thoughts at: [email protected] Bible (KJV) NT 27: Revelation (Version 2) by King James Version (KJV) LibriVox The Book of Revelation, often known simply as Revelation or the Apocalypse, is the final book of the New Testament and occupies a central place in Christian eschatology. Written in Koine Greek, its title is derived from the first word of the text, apokalypsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation." The author of the work identifies himself in the text as "John" and says that he was on Patmos, an island in the Aegean, when he was instructed by a heavenly figure to write down the contents of a vision. This John is traditionally supposed to be John the Apostle, although some historical-critical scholarship reject this view. Recent scholarship has suggested other possibilities including a putative figure given the name John of Patmos. Most modern scholars believe it was written around AD 95, with some believing it dates from around AD 70.The book spans three literary genres: epistolary, apocalyptic, and prophetic. It begins with an epistolary address to the reader followed by an The Shadows Project Podcast Reverend Anthony Kelley The Shadows Project Podcast is where we learn how to effectively organize, recruit, train, certify and enlist Christian workers to engage in a ministry to prisoners behind prison walls. Based upon the new book SHADOWS: Serving with Character, Competence, Commitment, and Pride in the Absence of Accolades and Recognition, authored by Reverend Anthony Kelley our Podcast Host, three “Kingdom Principles” are presented to guide volunteers in their quest to help regenerate, reclaim, and to prepare the returning citizens for restoration to their families and communities. New Books in Critical Theory Marshall Poe This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field.Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to get informative, engaging content straight to your inbox: ⁠https://newbooksnetwork.substack.com/⁠Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky to learn about more our latest interviews: @newbooksnetworkSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

URL copied to clipboard!