Customer Reviews

Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

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3 star:		(5)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

For those of you who want the ground roots study of the Hebraic perspective for the New Testament, this is the place to start. This book covers a broad range of categories yet doesn't intimidate the reader with endless re-translations of text. This book covers the history enough to convince the reader to study further and presents its case in a clear, logical manner that leaves one hungry for a deep investigation. All of the answers aren't here, which is fine, the author's intention is just to pry the door open and stick his toe in. The only negative is that the chapter on Semitic persecution didn't flow well with the rest of the book. I thought it would have been better as an appendix. This book would be a great gift for someone who you doesn't quite understand your point of view if you understand the importance of the Hebraic roots of Christianity.

If you identify yourself as a Christian this book is a must read. Written as a introduction into the Hebrew thoughts of our roots. One can not fully grasp Christianity until one can understand their roots. Easy reading for those who are not scholarly but informative enough to challenge even the best thinkers. I found this book very helpful and find myself giving copies away.

Dr. Wilson has written a book here that explores the Jewish foundations of Christianity in a comprehensive, readable, and informative way. He clearly articulates the issues and educates the reader regarding how this Jewishness affects our understanding of the teachings of Christ. His chapters on the Wisdom literature is some of the best I've ever read. He also gives guidelines for establishing dialog between Christian and Jew. This is must reading.

I am a student at Gordon College, and I am currently in Dr. Wilson's Modern Jewish Culture class. Before this class, I had been fascinated with Judaism, but I had never fully comprehended just how important it is for me to be fully aware of my own Jewish roots.

Frankly speaking, we Christians DO owe everything to, as one reviewer termed it, the "unbelieving" or "apostate" Jew. Those terms are very disturbing to me, since they reflect the very thinking that has allowed the division between Judaism and Christianity to continue for so long. On a more distressing level, they are the very thoughts that kept Christians silent during the horrors of the second World War.

When Christians approach Jews -- and vice-versa, when Jews approach Christians -- with an accusatory and negative spirit ("you're the ones who DON'T believe in [fill in the blank]"), no progress can be made in restoring our relationship. For those of us who consider ourselves Christians, it is only when we respond to each other with genuine care and a complete lack of judgment that any progress can be made. When Christians approach Jews with gratitude -- yes, gratitude -- we can begin to understand each other.

If you haven't read this book, you may be wondering why Christians should be so concerned with restoring our relationship with Judaism. For a full answer, you'll have to read Our Father Abraham, but I'll give a few reasons right now.

For one, Jesus (Rabbi Yeshua ben Yoseph) was an observant Jew, and although He challenged the Jewish thinkers of His day, He remained a Jew until his death, and will remain so beyond the end of time. The very act of theological argument is itself a very Jewish act; extreme importance is placed on midrash (study) and on remaining aware of the reasons behind every tenet of Jewish theology. Furthermore, while it is true that many Jews have not accepted Jesus' messiahship, that is NOT reason for anyone to believe that they have lost their distinction as a "Chosen Race" and "Holy Priesthood". The Lord, quite simply, does not go back on His word. The promises and covenants we read about in the Torah still continue to this very day. And as for the question of Messiah, it is little wonder that Jews have not accepted Jesus' claims as such, given the way His followers have treated them for millennia. In the words of many Jews, if following Jesus can allow for anti-Semitism and intolerance, they want no part of Him. For Christians, it is our task to "provoke the Jew to jealousy" by bearing witness to the joy of following Rabbi Yeshua, and historically we have done a terrible job of filling that role.

It is not Christians' task to convert Jews, since the very definition of conversion requires turning on one religion and way of life in order to fully embrace another. Quite frankly, Judaism and Christianity are not two separate religions, and even the Apostle Paul himself never "converted". (Be slow to accept any Biblical headings that suggest that he did; bold-faced paragraph headings placed by our friends at Zondervan, remember, are NOT inspired text.) Instead, Paul accepted the "fullest flowering" of his Judaism, and remained a Jew until the end of his life. In light of this model, it is the task of the Christian to love the Jewish people, and to be grateful to them for the gift of our religion and our Jewish Messiah. It is the task of the Christian to thoughtfully appeal to the intellect of the Jew by offering, without judgment, the secret for our joy. Finally, it is the task of the Christian to examine his own life for the cracks where anti-Semitism can creep in. It is easier than one might think...

...and it is precisely the reason why you owe it to yourself to read this book. I pray that you have found this review helpful and thought-provoking.

I'm on my fourth copy because I keep giving them away. Wilson writes clear and easy to understand. Packed with information on our Hebrew roots and a must have for every Messianic or Christian believer. I never did read it from cover to cover but I devoured chapters in the order of my interest. I especially enjoyed the education and family culture of the Hebrews.

Wilson presents the truth in BALANCE!

I have purchased 20 of these books and given them to friends. The search for Christians to reach out and understand their Jewish roots is vital for the correction or misapplication of some of our beliefs. This book points toward a more powerful and insightful lifestyle, and brings understanding to a much needed area.

What best review can I give for a book that just changed my whole life? I think the best I can do is to honestly warn other readers about this power: "Watch out! This book will change your life!" But this will only happen if you read it honestly, with a true desire to acknowledge the title: "Our Father Abraham". Dr. Marvin Wilson, simply and powerfully, explains what Christians have lost since departing from the Jews. And, of course, what Jews might benefit from the Christian experience. Have you ever watched "A Fiddler on The Roof"? Well, I hadn't, until I read this book. Now it's one of my favorite movies, because I know what's behind it! In short, if you really want to understand the Hebraic roots of your faith, don't start anywhere else. Buy it right now! And recommend it to as many of your dears as possible. But warn them: "Watch out! This book will change your life!"