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In time for Pope Francis's new initiatives. We now have the potential to end two thousand years of hostility—will we succeed? New in paperback!
With keen wisdom and a masterful understanding of history, Rabbi James Rudin, an acclaimed authority in the field of Jewish-Christian relations, provides the context necessary for Christians and Jews to recognize the critical challenges posed by the past—and the future—of their two religions.
Spanning twenty centuries of controversy, horror and promise, Rudin's narrative examines:
- The sources of both conflict and commonality between the two religions
- The need to address and redress past wrongs
- The agenda required to create a shared future free of bigotry
It includes proven approaches for successful interreligious dialogues, including tips on session organization, project ideas and a discussion guide to enhance Christians’ and Jews’ knowledge of each other.
Rabbi Rudin's career concentration on Christian-Jewish rapprochement enables him to write a crystal clear primer on the bones of contention from which anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism were constructed. If you want to know why, as Rudin puts it, 'Old Testament' is not a term of endearment; how the Pauline epistles fueled Christian disdain for Judaism and Jews; the difference between anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism; and why the only Holocaust is the Nazi extermination campaign, consult this book. Besides answering such questions, Rudin discusses what the land of Israel means to Jews and Christians, what Jerusalem signifies to Muslims as well as to Jews and to Christians, and, superbly, the implications and effects of Christian mission, witness, and conversion upon Jews. Rudin draws extensively from the historical and religious records of both Jews and Christians, and the bibliography of further reading is impressive enough to damp down objections that this is mere potted, partisan history. Concluding chapters counseling readers on starting and conducting Jewish-Christian dialogue neatly complement the exposition.
Acknowledgments xi
1. What's in a Name? Hebrews, Israelites, or Jews? 1
2. The Ancient Big Three: Jews, Greeks, and Romans 7
3. The World's Longest Running Religious Debate Begins 17
4. Saul, Call Me Paul: The Controversial
Apostle to the Gentiles 43
5. The Partings of the Way: Jews and Christians
Take Separate Paths to God 57
6. Why "Old Testament" Is Not a Term of Endearment 65
7. Anti-Judaism and Anti-Semitism: The Poisoned
Branches of Paul's "Good Olive Tree" 83
8. Mission, Witness, and Conversion 113
9. O Jerusalem! Three Faiths but Only One Jerusalem 133
10. Why There Is Only One Holocaust 149
11. The Meaning of Modern Israel for Christians and Jews 167
12. Proceed with Caution: Interreligious Relations
Is Now a Three-Way Intersection 183
13. We Are Prisoners of Hope 215
14. A User's Guide to Christian-Jewish Relations 225
Discussion Guide 233
Notes 237
Suggestions for Further Reading 253
Index 262