Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity (Gerald McDermott, Editor) -- A Review
Although
Christianity emerged out of first-century C.E. Judaism, Christian history is
stained by the way Christians have not only treated Jews but how Christians
have misrepresented the relationship between the two. It is no wonder that even
though the two religions are intimately interconnected, Jewish-Christian
relations have always been difficult. Nothing is more difficult than having a
conversation about Jesus. We've made much progress in the decades since the
Holocaust and the founding of the nation of Israel, both of which have made the
conversation essential. But, how should we understand our relationship with
each other? Answers to that question, of course, will depend on whether one is
Christian or Jewish.
On the
Christian side of things, there are varying positions regarding the
relationship. For some in the Christian community, Jews and Christians form two
separate religions. As such, God works with each religion separately. In other
words, there are two separate covenants that have no bearing on each other’s
relationship with God. For others, Christianity is understood to be an
extension of Judaism, so that Christians have been grafted into the earlier
covenant through Christ. Of course, there are still others who assume that
Christianity replaces or supersedes Judaism. There is another movement within
Christianity that understands itself to be an expression of Messianic Judaism.
That is, there are growing numbers of people who claim to be both observant
Jews and observant Christians at the same time. This position is considered by
many if not most Jews to be an oxymoron. That is, you are either Christian or
Jewish, but you can't be both.
A
complicating factor in the current Jewish-Christian conversation has to do with
the modern state of Israel. Is this nation simply a political entity or does it
have theological significance? If it does, then what about the Palestinians
(some of whom are Christians)? Where do they fit into this? These are not easy
questions to answer.
One
attempt to explore these issues is Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity, edited by Gerald R. McDermott. McDermott is the Anglican
Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School at Samford University. He is joined
by eleven other contributors who have written a series of essays that delve
into biblical, theological, and historical questions concerning the
relationship between Christianity and Judaism. Most of the essayists are
evangelical, and several are by self-identification Messianic Jews (note
Jennifer Rosner and Mark Kinzer). The contributors to this volume, whatever
their self-identification are scholars and religious leaders who are committed
to exploring the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. Central to the
message here is the reminder that Jesus was born and always lived as a Jewish
person. They insist, rightfully, that this must be understood and affirmed if
we are to understand Christianity.
As with
any volume of essays by different authors, there is a variety of perspectives
present in the book, as well as the varying quality of contribution. Some
essays will speak more to the reader than others will. I especially appreciated
the opening essays by Mark Gignilliat, which explore how the New Testament
authors used Tanak (Old Testament) and Matthew Thiessen's "Did Jesus Plan
to Start a New Religion." Regarding the first, Gignilliat reminds us that
there is no New Testament without the Old Testament, which might be a surprise
to some who have claimed to be New Testament Christians and see little authoritative
use for the Old Testament. According to the essay, you have no New Testament
without the text used by the writers of the New Testament in the formulation of
their messages. That text, of course, would be the Tanak. I find this a
helpful response to the undercurrent of Marcionism that I see too often present
in the church, even if it is unrecognized and unacknowledged. Without that
text, we are, as the author reminds us, cut off from the God of Israel, and
thus from the God whom Jesus revealed. Thiessen follows that up with a reminder
that Jesus did not attempt to found a separate religion. He was Jewish from his
birth to his death to his resurrection. That means Jesus was a Torah-observing
Jew. This serves as a challenge to scholars seeking to discover the
"historical Jesus" by searching for that which is unique in such a
way that it separates Jesus from his context (I see you Jesus Seminar).
There
are chapters that explore Paul's understanding of the Law (we've largely
misunderstood Paul, so say the authors). There is a chapter focusing on the
book of Hebrews discussion of sacrifice and the new covenant. That is an
intriguing chapter by David Moffitt. There is a chapter on the roots of
Christian worship and an important essay, this one by Isaac Oliver, that
explores when, how, and why the Christian ekklesia separated from the
synagogue. He explores the question of whether this separation was inevitable.
The author says no. If that is true, then what might we do? These are all good
questions.
Several
other essays explore dimensions of the conversation, but there is one more
essay I'd like to take note of. That is Mark Kinzer's essay on "Messianic
Judaism" and what that means for "recovering the Jewish character of
the Ekklesia." Here again, this essay has as its context a larger conversation
about whether Christianity and Judaism are separate religions. Therefore, if a
Jew follows Jesus, are they not converting from Judaism to Christianity? As
Kinzer and others in this volume will remind us, this is not something that
early Christians such as Paul could conceive of. Paul, in his mind, was always
a Jew who followed Jesus. In Kinzer’s presentation, the church needs the
"visible corporate presence of Jewish disciples of Jesus within the ekklesia."
If this is true, then it requires Jewish disciples to live in a way that “accentuates
rather than hides their identity as Jews” (p. 185). In support of his point, he
shows how in the modern era Jewish Christians have taken hold of their heritage
as Jews and embraced this visibly even as they embrace Jesus as messiah. The
question remains, is this possible, especially in light of the history of
Christian persecution of the Jews? What Kinzer proposes is, of course,
controversial. It's a vision I've largely dismissed, at the behest of my Jewish
friends. But, in light of the continued presence of Marcionism in the church, might
he have a point? I don't know, but it's worth exploring as part of a larger
conversation about the relationship between Jews and Christians.
Taking
McDermott’s volume Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity, there
is much to commend. As I’ve noted, I’m deeply troubled by the Marcionism I see present
in the church today. We still hear Christians speak of Pharisees in a derogatory
fashion. The Jewishness of the early church is often discounted. Therefore, we
need to address these issues. While not every essay accomplishes this goal in
the way I might like, as a whole, it offers thought-provoking essays that will
enable us to discern more clearly the Christian origins/connections to Judaism.
Comments