The myth of the cultural Jew -- Culture, law, and the development of Jewish tradition -- Origins and development of Jewish law: a top-down view -- The norms of Jewish law observance: a bottom-up view -- The birth of Jewish denominations in modernity and their divergent views on Jewish law -- Foundational conflicts: "who is a Jew" and Sabbath laws -- Homosexuality -- Women and synagogue ritual -- The State of Israel's role in forging Jewish law and culture in the post-Holocaust era -- Jewish identity in the United States -- The lessons of cultural analysis.