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