MALE CIRCUMCISION

Interpretation Debate on Judaism, The New Testament, and Health

  • Yusak Tanasyah Great Comission Theological Seminary, New York, United State
  • Bobby Kurnia Putrawan Asia Graduate School of Theology, Quezon, Philippines
Keywords: Male Circumcision, Judaism, New Testament, Health interpretation

Abstract

Male circumcision is often practiced across the world for a variety of reasons including health, medical necessity, beauty, tradition, or religion. Jews have practiced male circumcision since Abraham's time and continue until now. This practice is obligatory for Jewish males soon after they are born. In the New Testament, we read Paul talks about circumcision as the practice of Jewish belief, and for Christians, he said spiritual circumcision is the new law of the New Testament.  Now, male circumcision is not only related to religion, and culture but connect to the health issue. The interpretation of religion, culture, and health become an interpretation debate over many years. There is Circumcision either improves or decreases male sexual function or satisfaction. It is critical to understand how male circumcision (MC), especially when performed in childhood, impacts men's sexual satisfaction and performance. The topic is also quite contentious. Our objective is to give a comprehensive study of the studies on the influence of male circumcision from Jewish, Christian, and health interpretations.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Yusak Tanasyah, Great Comission Theological Seminary, New York, United State

 

 

 

References

Brian, Earp D. “Circumcision and sexual function bad science reporting misleads parents.” Journal of Medical Ethics, 42, no.4 (2016). https://blogs.bmj.com/medical-ethics/2016/04/22/circumcision-and-sexual-function-bad-science-reporting-misleads-parents.

Gohary, Amin. “Circumcision: History, Philosophy, and Facts.” Open Journal of Urology, 5 (2015): 114-117. https://doi.org/10.4236/oju.2015.58018.

Derrida Jacques. “Shibboleth,” in Midrash and Literature, ed. G. Hartman and S. Budick, New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1986.

Doyle, D. “Ritual Male Circumcision: A Brief History.” Paper. Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 35 (2005): 279–285. https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/files/doyle_circumcision.pdf.

Ferguson, E. Spiritual Circumcision in Early Christianity. Scottish Journal of Theology, 41(4), (1988). 485-497. doi:10.1017/S0036930600031768.

Faust, A. The Bible, Archaeology, and the Practice of Circumcision in Israelite and Philistine Societies. Journal of Biblical Literature, 134(2), (2015) 273–290. https://doi.org/10.15699/jbl.1342.2015.2936.

Gollaher L. David, Circumcision: A History of the World's Most Controversial Surgery. New York: Basic Books, 2000.

Heather, Krueger and Lucy Osborn. “Effects of Hygiene Among the Uncircumcised.” The Journal of Family Practice, 22, no.4 (1986): 353-355. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06646.x.

Kim, Dai-Sik and Myung-Geol Pang. “The effect of male circumcision on sexuality.” BJU International, 99, Iss.3 (2007): 619-622. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06646.x.

Neusner, J. Genesis Rabbah: The Judaic Commentary to the Book of Genesis. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1985.

Nickelsburg, G. W. E. “Stories of Biblical and Early Post-biblical Times,” in Jewish Writings of the Second Temple Period, ed. M. E. Stone. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.

Marco, Beatriz Bañuelos and Jessica Leigh García Heil. "Circumcision in childhood and male sexual function: a blessing or a curse?" International Journal of Impotence Research 33 (2021): 139–148. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-020-00354-y.

Marmorstein, A. The Doctrine of Merits in Old Rabbinical Literature, New York: Ktav, 1968.

Milos, M. "Circumcision: Male—Effects on Human Sexuality." in V. L. Bullough and B. Bullough, eds., Human Sexuality: An Encyclopedia. New York City: Garland Publishing, 1994.

Morrison, Michael. “Circumcision ‘the sign of the Abrahamic promise.’ APTTOTEACH, 1995. https://www.apttoteach.org/Theology/Salvation/pdf/721_Circumcison.pdf.

Paroschi, Keldie S. "Faith and New Life in Christ: The Problem of Circumcision in Galatians 5:2-6,” Master’s Theses. 2018. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/theses/120.

Peter, Adler W. Robert Van Howe, Travis Wisdom, and Felix Daase. “Is circumcision a fraud?.” Cornell journal of law and public policy. Vol. 30 (2020). https://community.lawschool.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Adler-et-al-final.pdf.

Peter, Clark A. “To circumcise or not to circumcise?” Health Progress, 2006. https://www.chausa.org/docs/default-source/health-progress/to-circumcise-or-not-to-circumcise-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=11e53af2_0.

Ralph, Bisschops. “Metaphor in Religious Transformation: 'Circumcision of the Heart' in Paul of Tarsus.” Religion, and the Human Mind Chapter: 12. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190636647.003.0012

Saqib Mohammed, Anwar, et al. “Circumcision: a religious obligation or 'the cruelest of cuts’?” The British journal of general practice: the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners vol. 60,570: (2010) 59-61. doi:10.3399/bjgp10X482194.

Schopp, Ludwig. Fathers of the Church Volume 26. Washington: Catholic Univiversity of America, 1954.

Shabanzadeh, Daniel Mønsted, Signe Düring, and Cai Frimodt-Møller. “Male circumcision does not result in inferior perceived male sexual function – a systematic review.” Danish medical JOURNAL, 63, no.7 (2016): A5245. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27399981.

Snyder, Hannah, “Literature Review as a Research Methodology: An Overview and Guidelines,” Journal of Business Research 104 (November 1, 2019): 333–39, https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2019.07.039.

Wessel, Ryan J. "Circumcision in the Old Testament." Religious Studies Center 20, no.3 (2019): 58-71. https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-20-no-3-2019/circumcision-old-testament.

Wolfson, Elliot R. “Circumcision, Vision of God, and Textual Interpretation: From Midrashic Trope to Mystical Symbol.” History of Religions 27, no. 2 (1987): 189–215. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1062668.

Wolfson R. Elliot. “Sefer ha- Rimmon: Critical Edition and Introductory Study,” Ph.D. diss., Brandeis University, 1986.

Wyatt, N. Circumcision and Circumstance: Male Genital Mutilation in Ancient Israel and Ugarit. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 33(4), (2009).405–431. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309089209105687.

Ziegelmann, Matt J. “Circumcision Male.” Mayo Clinic, 2024. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/circumcision/about/pac-20393550.

Published
2024-01-04
How to Cite
Tanasyah, Y., & Putrawan, B. K. (2024). MALE CIRCUMCISION: Interpretation Debate on Judaism, The New Testament, and Health. QUAERENS: Journal of Theology and Christianity Studies, 5(2), 132-146. https://doi.org/10.46362/quaerens.v5i2.221