Can the world be redeemed? Ge'ulah versus Pidyon: Toward a mundane, non-eschatological approach to redemption

In this essay, I juxtapose two conceptions of redemption, as expressed by the Hebrew terms ge'ulah and pidyon. I contend that today, the non-eschatological conception of redemption that animates the term pidyon is more politically salient than traditional cautions against ge'ulah-inspired apocalypticism. Indeed, restoring the more mundane understanding of redemption suggested by pidyon - as release from inherited narratives and obligations - may help us break the stalemate that has descended upon Israeli politics.