Customer Reviews

Voices of Messianic Judaism: Confronting Critical Issues Facing a Maturing Movement

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It is said that where there are two Jews, there are three opinions.

If that is true, then this book illustrates that Messianic Judaism is a true Judaism. Dan Cohn-Sherbok, not a Messianic Jew himself, has edited this anthology that explores issues that face the movement today. These individual essays include topics such as how to view scripture, the impact of intermarriage, gentile involvement in the movement, whether to offer conversion, whether women should receive smichah, and the relationship to Israel.

I'd say it's a must for those inside Messianic Judaism, and could be instructive for those on the outside who have at least visited Messianic congregations.

Dan Cohn-Sherbok is a rabbi of the Reform tradition, who is actually somewhat sympathetic to Messianic Judaism (see his book, Messianic Judaism: A Critical Anthology).

In the Introduction to this 2001 book, he writes, "I met with Barry Rubin, the president of Lederer/Messianic Jewish Publishers to discuss a book project exploring the issues now facing Messianic Judaism. After having studied Messianic Judaism for several years, I came to the view that there is a pressing need for Messianic thinkers to address the nature of the movement for the future. This volume, which includes twenty-seven chapters written by leading figures within the movement, seeks to examine a wide range of key topics."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"Adherents of this new movement insist they are not Christians... They believe that they have found the Jewish Messiah and are now completed Jews in that Yeshua is the fulfillment of biblical Judaism. Yeshua never intended to start a new religion. Rather, he came to correctly explain and law and the prophets." (Pg. x)
"This essay advocates that Messianic Jews should attend Messianic Jewish synagogues rather than churches... because the life of practices (the Torah and Jewish customs) describe can most successfully be lived in a synagogue context." (Pg. 47)
"If Messianic Judaism is, as it maintains, 'a Judaism,' then it must be seeking to produce Jews. It is right and good to draw intermarried couples to Messianic Judaism, but this does not mean that intermarriage as a principle should be advocated and supported." (Pg. 115)
"Some believers whose ministry centers on evangelism avoid moving to Israel because they think evangelism is illegal here. They are wrong. Israel is a democracy. Although democratic freedoms are somewhat limited in the areas of security and religion, we can tell anyone we want about Yeshua... It's a shame to avoid the excitement and challenge of evangelism in Israel because of a false belief about its legality." (Pg. 196)
"The depressing statistic is that sixty to eighty percent of the Jews from the West leave Israel---their aliyah is unsuccessful." (Pg. 198)

This is an excellent book - recommended by a Rabbi I admire - book arrived in great condition.