How are the Torah and other sacred texts studied within Conservative Judaism?

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Conservative Jews believe that God, in some way, revealed His will to Moses and to later prophets. Records and traditions relating to such events were transmitted in various forms for centuries, until the Torah was redacted into its final form, sometime around the time of Ezra (450 B.C.E.).  Thus, Conservative Jews are comfortable with the findings of archeological and linguistic research and critical textual study; these reveal that the Torah was redacted together from several sources, coming from different times and places. In fact, Conservative Jews make use of literary and historical analysis to understand how these texts developed, and to help them understand how they may applied in our own day. Thus, they see no conflict between modern biblical scholarship and adherence to Jewish law.

http://www.exo.net/bluethread/whowrotetorah.htm

 

In regards to this, Emet Ve-Emunah (statement of principles of Conservative Judaism) states:  "We of the Conservative community study the Jewish sources using the traditional mode of study at its best, utilizing methods both ancient and modern.  This means that Jews must ideally study as many of the traditional sources as possible - Bible, Mishna, Talmud, Midrash Halakha, Midrash Aggadah, responsa and codes.  In this process, they must apply to their study their knowledge of science, philosophy, history, archaeology, literature and all other relevant disciplines.  We should not be restricted to questions and answers internal to the tradition itself;  rather, we should look, as did our greatest scholars throughout time, both inside and outside the tradition to understand its history, practice, and beliefs.  The Conservative approach to study thus combines traditional exegesis with modern, historical methods.  We believe this combination to be the most accurate, open and penetrating way to understand Judaism and the Jews."

"Aside from the intellectual honesty and fruitfulness of this approach, studying this way can be a genuinelly spiritual experience.  We are able to relate to the people of the classical texts with understanding and empathy when we come to know them in their full, historical setting. Through the combination of traditional and modern methods of study, we come to recognize the variety and growth of the Jewish tradition over time, giving us a sense of its richness and dynamism...We learn how our people, living in a variety of circumstances, sought and discovered God, helping us all to experince the Divine Presence in our own lives."  [p.54,55]

For details on how Conservative Jews view Torah and revelation, see the Revelation and Torah FAQ.

            Revelation and Torah