Book Of Esther

The Hebrew version of the book of Esther does not reference God, for this reason many people are reluctant to accept it within the cannon. Esther was seen as a great hero in the Jewish community and since the book of Esther explains the Jewish tradition of Purim it is included in the canon. There are two views concerning Jewish ethnicity. One position is Particularism. This position says that the Jewish people have a responsibility to live a separate and distinct life than the outside world, to be exclusively God’s chosen people. The other position is Universalism. This position says that Judaism should be fully open to others and that it was the responsibility of the Jewish people to include others (cite book pg. 343). The contrasting view-points