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Jesus Through Jewish Eyes: Rabbis And Scholars Engage An Ancient Brother In A New Conversation
Jesus Through Jewish Rabbis and Scholars Engage an Ancient Brother in a New Conversation
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 3, 2016
I came across this book in searching for reading material for a discussion group "Jesus from a Jewish Perspective" that I plan to lead within a Jewish congregation this Fall. What a find! This is the perfect book for my use, but almost anyone, Jewish, Christian, or otherwise, would benefit from reading it, provided they do so with an open mind, willing to at least temporarily put aside their preconceptions of Jesus.
The fact that the different contributors often have conflicting views of Jesus is a real plus since, as a number of them point out, it is impossible to clearly see Jesus through the haze of 2,000 years, particularly given the lack of written accounts during his life and the agendas that most writers brought to the task once it was undertaken. The contributors' different viewpoints help one to synthesize a more complete picture and, in my case, added some interesting new possibilities that I hadn't considered before.
One of the things that struck me about this book, and which I feel is sorely needed in the world, is the obvious respect that two, often opposed groups demonstrate for each other. The Preface makes it clear that Maryknoll (the publisher) highly values the views of these Jewish scholars and they, in turn, show tremendous respect for Christian beliefs.
Viewed from the perspective of my youth of fifty years ago this book is a miracle. In that pre-Vatican II environment, I and many of my friends were routinely beaten up as Christ killers. We returned the compliment by holding a highly derisive view of Christianity and Jesus. The idea that Catholics and Jews could show this level of respect, even admiration, for each other's religions was unthinkable. Thank you Maryknoll, Beatrice Bruteau (the editor), and all the contributors. While the lion has not yet lain down with the lamb, I feel I have witnessed the beating of some swords of my youth into the ploughshares of today. May tomorrow's harvest be bountiful.
The fact that the different contributors often have conflicting views of Jesus is a real plus since, as a number of them point out, it is impossible to clearly see Jesus through the haze of 2,000 years, particularly given the lack of written accounts during his life and the agendas that most writers brought to the task once it was undertaken. The contributors' different viewpoints help one to synthesize a more complete picture and, in my case, added some interesting new possibilities that I hadn't considered before.
One of the things that struck me about this book, and which I feel is sorely needed in the world, is the obvious respect that two, often opposed groups demonstrate for each other. The Preface makes it clear that Maryknoll (the publisher) highly values the views of these Jewish scholars and they, in turn, show tremendous respect for Christian beliefs.
Viewed from the perspective of my youth of fifty years ago this book is a miracle. In that pre-Vatican II environment, I and many of my friends were routinely beaten up as Christ killers. We returned the compliment by holding a highly derisive view of Christianity and Jesus. The idea that Catholics and Jews could show this level of respect, even admiration, for each other's religions was unthinkable. Thank you Maryknoll, Beatrice Bruteau (the editor), and all the contributors. While the lion has not yet lain down with the lamb, I feel I have witnessed the beating of some swords of my youth into the ploughshares of today. May tomorrow's harvest be bountiful.
June 22, 2024
I think that this is a great resource for knowledge of History but I found I knew more than I thought and ended up being bored by it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews