The Misunderstood Jew
The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus
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4.9 • 8 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine has dedicated her career to facilitating greater interfaith dialogue by helping Christians and Jews understand the Jewishness of Jesus. In The Misunderstood Jew, Levine argues that liberal Christians misunderstand Judaism in general and the New Testament in particular, removing Jesus from his Jewish context and unwittingly promoting hatred of Jews. In addition, she charges Jews with willful ignorance of Jesus and his message. This book is designed to provoke honest dialogue about how Christians and Jews should understand Jesus, the Gospels, and our New Testament heritage.
Amy-Jill Levine is Professor of New Testament Studies and Religion, Gender, and Sexuality at Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, TN. Levine has been awarded grants from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Council of Learned Societies. She has been interviewed by Diane Sawyer on ABC’s “20/20” and on NBC’s “Dateline,” has been a featured expert on several CNN, A&E, and Discovery Channel specials, has been interviewed on NPR and quoted in Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report, and the New York Times.
“Amy-Jill Levine combines brilliant scholarship with a keen historic consciousness to produce this powerful and provocative book. Calling Christians and Jews alike to move beyond their shallow and distorting stereotypes of each other, The Misunderstood Jew will open a new chapter in both religious understanding and mutual appreciation.” – John Shelby Spong, author of Liberating the Gospels: Reading the Bible with Jewish Eyes
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
It is a simple truth that Jews and Christians should be close friends, since they share common roots and a basic ethical system. But the gulf between the groups seems vast. Levine, professor of New Testament studies at Vanderbilt, presents a strong and convincing case for understanding Jesus as "a Jew speaking to Jews," and for viewing Christianity as a Jewish movement that ultimately swept the world in its influence and authority. But with this expansion came an insidious anti-Jewish sentiment, fed by some New Testament texts (wrongly understood, the author urges) and the emerging political power of the Christian church. Levine does a masterful job of describing the subtleties of anti-Semitism, across the years and across the religious spectrum, from the conservative evangelical mission to convert the Jews to the liberation theologians who picture Jews as adherents to an older, less merciful religion. In the end, Levine offers a prescription for healing and mutual understanding; a chapter titled "Quo Vadis?" outlines steps that can be taken by Jews and Christians alike to bridge the divide that has caused so much suffering over the centuries. Written for the general public, this is an outstanding addition to the literature of interfaith dialogue.
Customer Reviews
An important work
This book comprises a significant effort in contextualizing Jesus realistically, and is surprisingly accessible for a book so well researched and comprehensive. It's also remarkably level-headed and fair, as well as important for Christians and Jews alike to come to understand this figure whom both can claim, as Levine successfully demonstrates. I highly recommend it