Table of Contents
Preface to the Second Edition xiii
Preface to the First Edition xvi
Pronunciation Key for Transliterated Hebrew Words xxiii
Part 1 A New People: Abraham's Spiritual Children
1 The Root and Branches 3
"Look to Abraham Your Father" 3
Athens or Jerusalem? 5
The World of the Bible 9
The Olive Root and Branches 12
Grafted into Israel 14
Understanding Chapter 1 16
2 Gentiles, Jews, and Jewish Heritage 19
A New Spiritual Family 19
A Western World with an Eastern Book 23
The Problem of Judaizing 24
Paul and the Law 27
Jewish Heritage and Today's Church 29
Understanding Chapter 2 34
Part 2 Church and Synagogue in the Light of History
3 The Earliest Church and Judaism 39
Jesus and His Followers 40
Beginnings: A Jewish Church 41
The Hebraists and the Hellenists 43
Stephen and the Hellenists 44
Outreach to Gentiles 45
The Special Calling of Paul 46
Further Success among the Gentiles 46
The Council of Jerusalem 48
Understanding Chapter 3 50
4 Theological Conflict and Persecution 53
Theological Differences 54
Persecutions 59
Summary 62
Understanding Chapter 4 63
5 "Heretics" and the Synagogue 65
The Birkat ha-Minim: Definition 66
The Origin of the Benediction 67
The Minim and Notzrim 69
"Put out of the Synagogue" 70
The Nidduy and Herem 72
Conclusion 73
Understanding Chapter 5 73
6 The Jewish Revolts and the Parting of the Way 76
The First Jewish Revolt (ad 66-73) 77
Between Revolts: The Academy at Yavneh 79
From Sabbath to Lord's Day 81
The Second Jewish Revolt (AD 132-135) 83
The Parting of the Way 85
Understanding Chapter 6 86
7 A History of Contempt: Anti-Semitism and the Church 89
The "New" Israel Emerges 90
From De-Judaizing to Anti-Judaism 92
The Early Fathers: Blaming the Victims 94
Allegory: An Attempt to Rescue the Jewish Scriptures 98
Anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages 100
From Luther to the Present 101
Understanding Chapter 7 103
Part 3 Understanding Hebrew Thought
8 The Old Testament: Hebraic Foundation of the Church 109
The Heresy of Marcion 110
Neo-Marcionism 111
A Neglected Treasure 112
The Bible of the Early Church 113
Two Parts, Yet One Book 114
The Theological Key 115
God-Breathed and Useful 116
Discovering the Jewish Jesus 117
Other Early Jewish Sources 120
The Shema: Core Affirmation of Israel's Faith 124
Christianity Is Jewish 127
The Hebrew Bible and American Beginnings 129
Foundational, Not Optional 133
Understanding Chapter 8 134
9 The Contour of Hebrew Thought 138
An Energetic People, a Descriptive Language 139
The Power of Poetry 144
Painting Verbal Pictures 148
Block Logic 153
A Time for Meditation 157
Everything Is Theological 159
Religion as a Way of Life 162
A Different View of Time and History 163
Understanding Chapter 9 165
10 Where the Church Went Wrong 169
Dynamic Unity versus Dualism 170
Otherworldliness versus This-Worldliness 177
The Individual versus the Community 188
Understanding Chapter 10 193
Part 4 Jewish Heritage and the Church: Selected Studies
11 Marriage and the Family through Hebrew Eyes 199
Current Attitudes 201
Biblical Foundations: Genesis and Marriage 203
Marriage and Sinai: Two Covenants Compared 207
Jewish Insights into Marriage and the Family 212
Values within the Home 217
Learning about the Family through Fiddler 225
Older and Better: Aging through Hebrew Eyes 230
Understanding Chapter 11 236
12 Passover and Last Supper 242
The Origin of Passover 243
Passover in Old Testament Times 244
Passover in New Testament Times 247
Jesus's Last Supper 250
Passover Today 252
Passover and Contemporary Christianity 254
Understanding Chapter 12 257
13 Jews, Christians, and the Land 261
Jews and the Land: An Overview 262
Christian Approaches to the State of Israel 268
Christians and Support of Israel 275
Epilogue: Prospects for Peace 278
Understanding Chapter 13 280
14 A Life of Learning: The Heart of Jewish Heritage 284
Education in Old Testament Times 285
The Hebrew View of Wisdom 287
Young Fools and Old Fools 289
The Hebrew View of Knowledge 293
Education with a Difference 295
The Sweetness of Learning 297
Hebraic Insights on the Task of Teaching 300
Education in New Testament Times 304
Everyone a Student 306
Teaching Methods and Priorities 308
Study as Worship 316
"Guard It Well, for It Is Your Life" 317
Understanding Chapter 14 318
Part 5 Toward Restoring Jewish Roots
15 If Not Now … When? 327
Preliminary Considerations for Christians 329
Face-to-Face in Dialogue 332
Education and Personal Growth 336
Social Action 340
"The Greatest of These Is Love" 342
Understanding Chapter 15 344
Part 6 In Retrospect: Reflections on Christian-Jewish Relations from Auschwitz to the Present
16 The Holocaust and Christian-Jewish Relations 349
Keeping the Message Alive 350
Contributing Factors 350
All Jews Were Victims 352
Some Lasting Lessons of the Holocaust 353
Jews and Christians after Auschwitz: The Need for Constructive Dialogue 357
Understanding Chapter 16 361
17 My Story: The Odyssey and Reflections of an Evangelical in Interfaith Dialogue 365
A Frustrated Search for Jewish Roots 366
Fear of the Other and Learning to Listen 368
Evangelicals in the Synagogue 371
Jews in Churches: An Oxymoron? 375
Toward Refining the Dialogue: Quest for a Better Way 377
The Road Ahead 382
Understanding Chapter 17 384
Selective Bibliography 389
Indexes
Index of Biblical Texts 409
Index of Rabbinic Literature 420
Index of Other Early Extrabiblical Literature 422
Index of Authors 423
Index of Subjects 427
Index of Hebrew Words 440
Index of Greek Words 443