34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
a bit dry, but otherwise deeply interesting, March 10, 2001
This review is from: Jesus the Jewish Theologian (Paperback)
Having a religious studies minor in college I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. Sometimes scholarship can overpower issues of faith and spirituality. This book is quite revealing - it gives incredible insight into some of the parables and teachings of the gospels. I can honestly say that I will never look at Jesus in the same way. Young responsibly addresses issues of the traditional Jewish faith and their relation to the teaching of Jesus which is something that I've not seen before. Exegetical responsiblity requires that one read and interpret scripture in its original context and Young does this well, not only with the traditionally accepted canon but also incorporates works from Jewish teachers from the era as well, to paint a bright picture that depicts the world in which Jesus lived and taught. This book will provide numerous points of interest for someone who isn't familiar with the first century world in which Jesus lived. On the other side I found it to be a bit dry. Much credit is due to Young for an insightful, thoughtful, and thoroughly researched work, yet I found a bit reminiscent of my religion text books and this is my only criticism.
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53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good (& conservative) starter for studying historical Jesus, December 30, 2001
This review is from: Jesus the Jewish Theologian (Paperback)
Recently studying the historical Jesus has been fascinating for me. Young's book is probably a good starter for those wanting to understand Jesus' experience as a Jewish human.
I learned of Dr. Young from reading Dr. David Flusser of Hebrew University. Flusser, who was Jewish, was a philologist and scholar on Jesus and the 1st century church. His book, Jesus, is so widely quoted and respected by NT scholars (e.g., James Charlesworth, E.P. Sanders, etc) that I devoted a lot of time to locating a copy (finally found it via Jerusalem Perspective web site and it is an excellent read!). Flusser quotes Young, so I located this book by Young.
Young was a student and friend of Flusser's and is obviously influenced by Flusser (many references to Flusser, including references to private conversations).
A few things are worth knowing about Dr. Young's book. It is not always smooth reading. It seems to need some editing work.
I found a few thoughts in the book that were not well developed. For example, Dr. Young says that Jesus was more educated than Paul (page xxxiv). This startling (but possibly true?) comment is quoted by Flusser in a footnote in his book, Jesus. I can accept it as a possibility, but this is so different from anything I've ever heard or read that I was looking for more support . There was no support for this comment, and I was left to wonder why Young believes such. I had a few other similar experiences while reading this book.
I was interested in comparing Young's view of Jesus' teaching about divorce. He writes that, according to Jesus:
"Divorce is not adultery. Remarriage after divorce is not adultery." (p 116)
This interpretation is not surprising, though different from others, but the following was for me a new perspective on the meaning of Jesus' words:
"In essence, Jesus says that when one divorces his wife in order to marry the other woman, it is wrong." (p 116)
I think I recall (i.e., not sure and too lazy to look) that the NT scholar E.P. Sanders and others believe Jesus did teach that remarriage after divorce is adultery. (I don't know anything about his personal life, but I wondered if Young's personal life influences his interpretation on this topic.)
A general reader should keep in mind that this is not a work on Christology. For example, he doesn't discuss Jesus being the Son of God as represented in Trinitarian theology.
Based on this book, I bought and intend to read Young's other books (Parables, Paul).
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34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jesus the Jewish Theologian, January 11, 2000
This review is from: Jesus the Jewish Theologian (Paperback)
This is a book that belongs beside every bed in the world! What a wonderful thorough look at the Messiah Jesus! Dr. Young explores not only the parables of Jesus, but the historical settings, traditions and manners that are displayed in the Bible that are often overlooked. Dr. Young teaches at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa and travels the world speaking at various conferences. His studies while living in Israel at the Hebrew University have added a vast richness to his insight into teaching these truths. I would encourage every pastor or Bible student to read this book, and Dr. Young's other books: Paul the Jewish Theologian, The Jewish Background of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus and His Jewish Parables, and Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation. Dr. Young is one of the world's foremost scholars of Hebrew and Greek, and when he explains the world of prayer both in the Old Testament and New, a deeper depth of understanding is gained by his students. A must read!
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