Judaism in the New Testament: Practices and Beliefs [Paperback]

Bruce Chilton (Author), Jacob Neusner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 22, 1995

Judaism in the New Testament explains how the writings of the early church emerged from communities which defined themselves in Judaic terms even as they professed faith in Christ. These two extremely distinguished scholars introduce readers to the plurality of Judaisms of the period. They show, by examining a variety of texts, how the major figures of the New Testament reflect distinctly Judaic practices and beliefs.
This important study shows how the early movement centred on Jesus is best seen as `Christian Judaism'. Only with the Epistle to the Hebrews did the profile of a new and distinct Christian religion emerge.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Such emphasis on community rather than individual religion, and on the pervasiveness of Jewish attitudes, is of great value.' - Church Times

'An excellent volume by two very well respected scholars.' - Deborah Sawyer, Lancaster University, UK

'Well written and compellingly argued, this book deserves a hearing within the Jewish-Christian dialogue.' - International Review of Biblical Studies

'This is an important, well-conceived book ... the work lends itself to study and stimulating discussion by senior undergraduates as much as by senior academics.' - Markus Bockmuehl, Theological Book Review

'This work is to be commended for providing important insights into the dynamics of early Christianity in relation to the Judaisms of the first century ... It has provided a fresh look at how we can read the New Testament in relation to the diverse Judaisms of the first century.' - Helen Fry, Reviews in Religion & Theology

About the Author

Jacob Neusner is the Distinguished Research Professor of Religious Studies at the University of South Florida. Bruce Chilton is the Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1st edition (November 22, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415118441
• ISBN-13: 978-0415118446
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,373,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Deep reading on Christianity as a Judaism, January 2, 2004

By 

J. F Joyner "jim_joyner" (Spartanburg, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Judaism in the New Testament: Practices and Beliefs (Paperback)

The previous reviewer who titled his review in such a way that indicated this book is suitable for devotional reading can't possibly be serious.

This book is very thought provoking, and reflects more than a few profound thoughts about Christianity as a Judaism. Chilton and Neusner are both very learned scholars, and so far as I can tell neither writes for popular audiences (one possible exception being Chilton's book on Rabbi Jesus).

It is not an easy read, and some portions were impossible for me to follow (I like Chilton's works, at least if I understand him I do, but he really needs a better editor). The book contains profound observations and thoughts, but it takes persistence to read it all.

The most important lesson I learned is how critical it was to NT personalities to "define Israel." The authors pointed out the different approaches between Paul, Peter, Jesus, and the author of Hebrews. This point is made after significant space is devoted to explaining that there were many Judaisms, and there there never was one orthodox, traditional Judaism. I was also inspired by the discussion of the Sabbath, and how Jesus claimed to be the Sabbath (Matthew 11:27-30).

For someone seriously seeking to understand the Jewishness of Jesus, and the Jewishness of early Chrisitianity, this contains some important material. But, a reader would want to have already read a lot about those subjects before getting to this book. That's because the writing style can be terribly confusing and tedious, which compounds the challenge of addressing issues that are not routine.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must reading for Jewish Roots of Christianity, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Judaism in the New Testament: Practices and Beliefs (Paperback)

This book is the finest, most balanced book I have read on the common roots of Judaism and Christianity. The notion that Christianity was A Judaism was counter to my thinking, but they make the case. It stresses the similarities and differences between Judaism and Christianity, showing that the differences are within the Judaic context. I didn't agree with everything they said, but any serious discussion and debate on this subject MUST include the points raised here.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great devotional book!, July 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Judaism in the New Testament: Practices and Beliefs (Paperback)

This is the first book of either author I have read and I enjoyed it completely. The idea that the New Testament is another form of Judaism at first went against what I was taught even though I had always recognized the jewishness of Jesus. This book focuses on the important issue of God fulfilling the Talmud through the person of Jesus Christ