Customer Reviews

A Prayer to Our Father

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I, like other reviewers of this book have noted, found the concept behind this journey to be one of the more intriguing component of this study of the Lord's Prayer. Far too few attempts have been made to journey with a Jewish brother through our shared testament and, especially, the New. Most Christian studies, I would presume, that involve some form of reflection and etiology would be executed with preconceived notions derived from the perspective of a person coming from that faith tradition. Now, there's nothing wrong with this approach. It is understandable to undertake, as a Christian, a study of the Jewish heritage and words with the intent to arrive at a new-found conclusion by studying the context of the literature; however, the basic premise of this book, that two individuals from different faith traditions who cherish a similar sacred text could enthusiastically and collaboratively study the components of one tradition derived from the other and the contexts that inform that tradition, is refreshing. Their journey together through the Hebrew texts surrounding the Lord's Prayer was informative, especially for a Jewish history and Israeli geography novice, such as me.
What was simultaneously interesting by way of random archeological facts and somewhat boring by way of the flow of the book was the first half of this book. While it does lay a sort of frame work for the second half of the book, so much more time could and should have been dedicated to a discussion around some of the findings and their implications, socially, historically and religiously. The story does carry a sort of adventure feel to it which could have made for great fiction but detracted from the theological robustness of this book.
Knowing that the "implications" of the findings would be different for each author, I can understand why the majority of these findings were discussed in somewhat vague, Abrahamic-faith tradition language. And, don't get me wrong, this is not a bad thing. More conversations need to take place regarding the shared tradition and similarities between the traditions in order to promote interfaith peace and cooperation as we achieve God's calling. But, as a Christian looking for more insight about the Lord's Prayer and what that means for my life, I found myself not entirely motivated by the amount of time dedicated to research, discovery and shared experience and implications.
That being said, the last 90 pages of this book offered almost tidbits of theology which both piqued my curiosity and whet my appetite. The breakdown of every line in the Lord's Prayer and spending an adequate amount of time discussing both the Hebrew text and the contexts in which they were written provided new insight to this reader. And, while each section revealed something new to me, the part and analysis of that prayer that most grabbed me and, I think, has the most devastating effect on many contemporary theologies while also being inspirational and excited is "Your Will Shall Be Done on Heaven and on Earth."
Although disappointing that only a few pages were dedicated to this section, the addition of the word "shall" (an appropriate addition that was not included in the Greek version) is extremely significant. Nehemia discusses the implications:
"While the Greek version of the Avinu Prayer contains a call to action to do God's will, the Hebrew contains a statement of fact: `Your will shall be done in heaven and on earth.' (128-129)
While I am not sure that what follows this statement throughout the rest of the chapter about what this change means is entirely new nor incredibly insightful (e.g. "These Hebrew words...express the idea that our heavenly father is all-powerful" (129)), to me this change is of monumental importance.
When a Christian reads this change and hears the words of Jesus time and time again throughout the New Testament that "the Kingdom of God is upon you" and that it is now, not set in some ephemeral plane sometime after we die, it should inspire. As people suffer under in the Kingdom of Man, to know that God wants us to enact the Kingdom of God here and now on this earth should provide fresh motivation. It should spur the believer to decisive action and announce the Gospel as the good news to the poor, the sick, the homeless, the hungry, the orphan and the oppressed. For, as the Hebrew rendition of this prayer suggests, God's will shall be done on earth. As Christians, it is our responsibility to make that happen.
At the end, while the book's conclusion makes sense structurally (with a resounding "Amen" chapter), I found myself left hanging, confused that this brief journey was over. I was hoping for more substance. And, again, while the journey of two men from two different faith traditions was unique and interesting, personally, I would be interested in Mr. Johnson expanding on his findings, shedding more light to the implications this Hebrew prayer may offer to a Christian in a supplemental sequel. All in all, as a light, well-written book, it's worth reading.
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Co-authors Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson explore the Hebrew foundation of the Lord's Prayer in their book A Prayer to Our Father: Hebrew Origins of the Lord's Prayer.

The authors intend for this book to be very exciting. They are excited people. They are Hebrew nerds, and they go on a dramatically and suspensefully told quest to plumb the depths of time and manuscripts to flush out the Hebrew underpinnings of the Lord's Prayer, or in Hebrew, the Avinu Prayer.

Gordon and Johnson do not publish anything radical, controversial, or suspect. They back up their suspicions and hunches with adequate scholarship. The book proves to be part theological book and part travelogue as the pair criss-cross continents and the Holy Land in search for the authentic roots of the Lord's Prayer.

Their quest is admirable, and achieved, but its not one I really wanted to go on. If you are a language nerd or think of reading a Hebrew dictionary or studying Hebrew as a fun and enjoyable activity, I suggest you buy this book. You'll enjoy it.

Myself on the other hand, the book started boring me about half way through. I just am not interested in the peculiarities of Hebrew to Greek to English translations, and most of their insights I had read in N.T. Wright's book The Lord and His Prayer.

The book does try to be exciting, and it deserves much credit on that point. It just didn't click with me. There are many books I read (and review) that people would find boring as well, so this book is in the eye of the beholder, and at $19.95 for a paperback (a high price in my opinion) I would suggest that unless you are a Hebrew nerd or transfixed by the Holy Land buy Wright's The Lord and His Prayer instead (it's $8 on Amazon).

This book contains a description of some interesting detective work and anyone who reads it will receive a real blessing when they learn the original meaning of the prayer that the Saviour gave us. It also comes with a delightful short DVD.

Nehemia and Keith take on a subject that for years has been taken as a separated prayer for christianity. That is a false assumption as you will read here.

This is a unique and outstanding book. A story of a research project and collaboration between a Jew and an American Christian pastor which brings both faith's together and gives to me as a Christian a far greater insight into both our Father and what Jesus was trying to teach us. It will make your life richer.

Excellent! Quick read with much depth. Read it twice and will read it again. Get more out of it each time. The truth of the word!

I heard an author interview on NPR and ordered the book that evening. I did not choose expedited delivery at all. But two days later it was waiting at my home for me. That is efficiency!!!
The book itself is as expected, a clean copy in print with a CD in the envelope at the back inside cover.
I find language and use of words very interesting. I am still contemplating the meaning of the Lord's Prayer from this perspective, and what this means in regard to the interpreters of the Bible as we know it.

Okay, I'm really not good at writing reviews but I gotta at least recommend this book!

A Prayer to Our Father: Hebrew Origins of the Lord's Prayer by Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson, 2009, is a theological detective work that reads almost like a thrilling novel, only it's based on solid research searching for truth.

Nehemia (pronounced Neh HEM ee ah, I always thought it was Nee a MY uh ) Gordon, raised as an Orthodox Jew, converted to Kararite Judaism, and Keith Johnson, a black, US, methodist preacher, amazingly strike up an unlikely friendship, and over the years begin a back and forth, theological study of the Hebrew scriptures. The friendship is deepened when they decide to embark on a scholarly study of recently re-discovered manuscripts of New Testament Hebrew Matthew.

This book is the product of this friendly collaboration and focuses on the Avinu Prayer, commonly known as The Lord's Prayer. When read in Hebrew, the Avinu Prayer takes new depth and meaning and the seeming conflict between the Matthew version verses the Luke account disappears into a more deeply understood and beautiful prayer. A Prayer to Our Father takes the reader from the shores of the US to the shores of the Dead Sea on a quest to find true meaning in the words of the Messiah.

Fascinating reading! I highly recommend this for homeschool and church.

This book inspired and enlightened me spiritually in ways I would never have imagined. I have been studying a direct Hebrew to English translation of the Torah for almost a year now and this book confirms everything that I have been learning over the last 11 months. Whether you are a Christian or a Jew, this book is a must-read if you want to have a full understanding of the way YHVH wants his children to pray.

This is not just a book but a journey into our Biblical past and insight into one of our most important prayers. Nehemia and Keith have given us a fresh and compelling view of words we have recited in rote memorization without true examination. Jeanne Seven Points TX