Although the roots of Christianity run deep into Hebrew soil, many Christians are regrettably uninformed about the rich Hebrew heritage of the church. This volume shows the vital link between Judaism and Christianity, laying a solid foundation for a truly meaningful Jewish-Christian dialogue.
Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
154 of 158 people found the following review helpful
By M. D Roberts
Format:Paperback
This excellent, Scripturally based study is written with compassion and authority and reveals how the roots of Christianity run deep into "Hebrew soil", showing the Hebrew heritage of the Christian Church to be rich and extensive.
The book describes at the outset how this heritage has been largely unexplored/ignored by Christian seminaries, colleges and other educational institutions.
Through a Biblical, historical and cultural study, the book examines what our "predecessors" in the Judeo-Christian faith have delivered to the Church of today. The opening chapters of this work provide a historical perspective on the Jewish origin of the Church with the book going to great lengths to emphasise the fundamental truths that "Jesus Christ Himself was a Jew" and that the Bible declares "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4;24).
This work tells us that as far as the Gospel record is concerned, Jesus spoke from "within Judaism" and never abandoned His "ancestral faith". The book also describes how a prime facet of Old Testament/Jewish thought was the promise and fulfilment of Biblical prophecy in relation to the coming Messiah. Something which the earliest Christians, themselves Jews, found resolved in the person of Jesus Christ. The book educates the reader regarding how this Jewishness affects our understanding of the teachings of Christ.
The book also proceeds to study the centuries of "de-Judaization" that followed the early Church, plus a study of the negative consequences resulting from the Church being "severed" from it's Jewish roots. The correct Scriptural interpretation of the Church being "grafted in" to it's Jewish roots is explained in some detail. The doctrine of "Replacement Theology" is also examined, wherein the Church is cited as being the "new Israel" and usurping the Biblical promises pertaining to the Jewish people and nation. A process that is described as developing from what was initially the de-Judaization of the Church into the concept of anti-Semitism itself. All these issues are commendably discussed in the contents of this book in their appropriate context with Scriptural references readily provided.
Other sections of this study include a section devoted to understanding "Hebrew thought" plus an analysis of the Church & theological conflict.
The book also investigates the Judaeo-Christian heritage to the Holy Land and recognises that Judaism is so embedded in it's relationship to the Land that it is utterly inseparable from it. Jerusalem itself is also examined in a similar context and outlines that Jesus was born into a Jewish family near Jerusalem (Bethlehem, Judea), He later taught there, died there, rose from the dead there, ascended to Heaven from there and said that He would physically return there. (Readers should be aware that whilst the book makes some reference to the present day situation in the Holy Land, it does not delve into the complexities and the political quagmire of the current situation. Indeed, that was never the purpose for this study.)
This is an extremely comprehensive, readable and informative study on the Jewish roots of Christianity to which the latter is permanently indebted & a "must read" for anyone wishing to obtain a Hebraic perspective on the New Testament. For those interested in this subject I would also respectfully recommend "Jewish Roots; A Foundation Of Biblical Theology" by Dan Juster. Thank you for your time.
85 of 88 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a stunning achievement and a life changing book! Wilson calls Christians to examine their Hebrew roots. Once you discover the roots of Christianity run deep into Hebrew soil you will never view the Bible the same way.
Abraham is father of us all, as Paul wrote to the Romans (Rom. 4:16). He is father of believing Jews, and he is father of believing Gentiles (Rom. 4:11, 12). So if we belong to Christ, we are Abraham's seed (Gal. 3:29). We have that wonderful Abrahamic connection.
To many Christians are surprised Christian's roots are in Judaism. Wilson excellent balanced work gives an information in all areas of Jewish culture and what it means to us today. The book is broken down into five parts. They are:
1. A New People: Abraham's Spiritual Children
2. The Church and Synagogue in the Light of History
3. Understanding Hebrew Thought
4. Jewish Heritage and the Church: Selected Studies
5. Toward Restoring Jewish Roots
Each packed chapter includes sub points that will enhance your study and understanding of the Bible. Wilson's goal is to help the reader see the strong link between Judaism and Christianity and the Old and New Testaments. By seeing and understanding this link, it is hoped that the reader will be able to develop a more authentically Biblical lifestyle.
Study questions are included at the end of each chapter.
Abraham is father of us all, as Paul wrote to the Romans (Rom. 4:16). He is father of believing Jews, and he is father of believing Gentiles (Rom. 4:11, 12). So if we belong to Christ, we are Abraham's seed (Gal. 3:29). We have that wonderful Abrahamic connection.
To many Christians are surprised Christian's roots are in Judaism. Wilson excellent balanced work gives an information in all areas of Jewish culture and what it means to us today. The book is broken down into five parts. They are:
1. A New People: Abraham's Spiritual Children
2. The Church and Synagogue in the Light of History
3. Understanding Hebrew Thought
4. Jewish Heritage and the Church: Selected Studies
5. Toward Restoring Jewish Roots
Each packed chapter includes sub points that will enhance your study and understanding of the Bible. Wilson's goal is to help the reader see the strong link between Judaism and Christianity and the Old and New Testaments. By seeing and understanding this link, it is hoped that the reader will be able to develop a more authentically Biblical lifestyle.
Study questions are included at the end of each chapter.
65 of 68 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
When people stop by our website and ask us "where do we start? What book do we read first?" this is the book that we start them off with when they start exploring the Hebrew roots of the Christian Faith. We call this book "THE PRIMER"! A must read for every Christian to understand the first century church.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith
This book clearly sets out and delineates, especially for those readers not raised in the Jewish Tradition, the Jewish, (as opposed to Greek) roots of the Christian faith. Read more
Published 19 days ago by G. G. Prosper
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Primer
Wilson has done a wonderful job of identifying and treating many of the philosophical aspects of what defines Messianic Judaism. Read more
Published 26 days ago by Mishkan David
4.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful, challenging, and disturbing
Many Christians who dare to absorb the information in this book will find it unsettling but compelling. The history of Christian treatment of Jews is loathsome. Read more
Published 1 month ago by TJ Brewster
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not for the novice
This book is clearly written for the scholar rather than the novice. No fault of the author but rather for Amazons promotion which is deceptive. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Abraham
5.0 out of 5 stars
This was a replacement copy
This was a replacement book, and I knew what I was getting before it arrived. It's very well written, albeit somewhat slanted!
Published 2 months ago by Margaret A. Grozier
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Read
This is a "must read" for any Believer who wants to truly understand the Jewishness of Jesus and the dilution, if not elimination, of the Jewish foundation that became... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Tom Shelby
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you want to understand the Hebraic viewpoint this book is a must!
The best way to understanding the bible is to approach it with the Hebraic viewpoint. This book will explain the in and out of that. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Norman Watson
3.0 out of 5 stars
Our Father Abraham
An attempt to tie the Old and New Testaments together. Helpful but not tightly bound. Disappointed in that regard. There were some good points but way to far in between. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Allen Keith Holcomb
5.0 out of 5 stars
Foundational for an authentic faith!
We have over 80 Christian denominations and the division is continuing to grow as each denomination fights over who is right on minor issues which all relate to how they interpret... Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. Baker
5.0 out of 5 stars
informative book
Informative. Fairly easy reading, but with "meat." Great choice! Challenging. Encourages broadening one's scope of thinking, while giving the knowledge and understanding to do so. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Gayle Webert
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
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28
books
cite this book:
See all 28 books citing this book
- The Insecurity of Freedom: Essays on Human Existence by Abraham Joshua Heschel on 10 pages
- Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus by David Blivin on 7 pages
- Judaism and Christian Beginnings by Samuel Sandmel on 6 pages
- The Authority of the Old Testament by John Bright on 5 pages
- Semantics of Biblical Language by James Barr on 5 pages
See all 100 books this book cites
- The Torah: An Introduction for Christians and Jews by David J. Zucker on page 30, page 110, and Back Matter
- Assumptions That Affect Our Lives by Christian Overman in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Dirty Virtues: The Emergence of Ecological Virtue Ethics by Louke Van Wensveen on page 42, and Back Matter
- A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays by Robin Sampson in Front Matter, and page 29
- The First Christian: Universal Truth in the Teachings of Jesus by Paul F. M. Zahl on page 34, and Back Matter
See all 28 books citing this book
