On Religiosity and Super-religiosity (II): The Case of Jewish Ultra-orthodoxy

Abstract

This is part two of my essay on super-religiosity. Though the two parts systematically relate to each other and are complementary, they can be read independently of one another. The first part, printed in the previous issue oí Numen (vol. 60, issue 2-3, 2013) presented the analytic model of super-religiosity. The following presents a case study that is an illustration and test of the formerly published conceptual discussion and theoretical argument The present part applies the idea of super-religiosity to the peculiar instance of Jewish ultra-orthodoxy. It is a comprehensive, methodic, and updated exposition of a particular super-religious society and culture. It focuses on the contemporary Israeli ultra-Orthodox known as Haredim. More precisely, this paper describes and analyzes the hard core of the Haredi group that manifests religious extremism. This examination of the Haredi case in terms of super-religiosity is applied towards an attempt at deconstructing and reevaluating the prevalent concepts of tradition, extremism, and fundamentalism. . PrefaceThe following comments on the nature of Jewish ultra-orthodoxy derive from my long, unmediated contacts with Haredim, during which I had the opportunity to experience various aspects of their life. Close relationships with Haredim allowed me to observe their daily routine -at © KoninkUjkc Brill NV, ix:iden, züia

The Rationality of Fundamentalist Belief

“…A form of Jewish fundamentalism is also thought to exist within the Haredi, or ultra‐orthodox, branch of Judaism, which is a significant minority in Israel and has expressions in many countries across the world (Aran, 2013). Haredi communities are also taken to be a response to modernizing forces, are known for being highly insular, and for basing religious practice on a strict, essentialist reading of religious scriptures.…”