Jewish Believers in Jesus
The Early Centuries
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- Format
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780801098505
- Dimensions
- 6 x 9
- Pub. Date
- Jan 2017
- SRP
- $70.00
- Carton Quantity
- 10
- Number of pages
- 960
About
"The comprehensiveness and generally high quality of the individual chapters will ensure that for the foreseeable future this volume will be a work of reference for all those who are seriously interested in ancient Jewish Christianity."--Journal of Ecclesiastical History
Jewish Believers in Jesus: The Early Centuries examines the formative first five centuries of Christian history as experienced by individuals who were ethnically Jewish but who professed faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Offering the work of an impressive international team of scholars, this unique study examines the first five centuries of texts thought to have been authored or edited by Jewish Christians, including the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, the New Testament Apocrypha, and some patristic works. Also considered are statements within patristic literature about Jewish believers and uses of oral traditions from Jewish Christians. Furthermore, the evidence in Jewish, mainly rabbinic, literature is examined, and room is made for a judicious sifting of the archaeological evidence. The final two chapters are devoted to an enlightening synthesis of the material with subsequent conclusions regarding Jewish believers in antiquity.
Philip S. Alexander
Endorsements
"This is a first-rate contribution by top scholars to our understanding of Jews who believed in Jesus during the first few centuries of Christianity. Not only does the volume address in depth the many complexities of the historical, social, literary, and religious aspects of Jewish believers in Jesus, it also admirably engages the very construction of scholarship on the topic. This is a comprehensive work of meticulous and careful scholarship that should be the standard reference on the subject for years to come."
Jeffrey S. Siker, professor and chair, Department of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University
"For a long time, the accepted view on the early Jewish Christian community has been that after the Jewish war against the Romans that ended in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem, the Jewish Christian community became a marginal phenomenon and soon disappeared in the Gentile Christian church. The contributions to the present book on Jewish believers in Jesus result in a fundamental revision of this picture. It shows that more or less close relations between Jewish believers in Jesus Christ and Judaism continued at least into the Constantinian period (4th century) in spite of the endeavors of leaders on both sides to get their view of a fundamental opposition between Judaism and Christianity generally accepted. I consider the accumulated evidence for the revision of this picture very persuasive. It amounts to a strong suggestion that for a long period the disagreements concerning the person of Jesus did not prevent a continuing awareness of the fact that Jewish believers in Jesus and even Christians from the Gentiles could feel to believe in the same God as the Jews did. This view of the relationship should also have an impact on contemporary Jewish-Christian dialogue."
Wolfhart Pannenberg, emeritus professor of systematic theology, University of Munich
The Authors
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Oskar Skarsaune
Oskar Skarsaune, Dr theol is professor of church history emeritus at MF Norwegian School of Theology in Oslo, Norway. His many publications include The Proof from Prophecy: A Study in Justin Martyr's Proof-text Tradition, Incarnation--Myth or...
Continue reading about Oskar Skarsaune
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Reidar Hvalvik
Reidar Hvalvik, Dr theol, is professor of New Testament at MF Norwegian School of Theology in Oslo, Norway. His publications include The Struggle for Scripture and Covenant: The Epistle of Barnabas and Jewish-Christian Competition in the Second Century,...
Continue reading about Reidar Hvalvik
Reviews
"Uniquely, Jewish Believers in Jesus attempts to distinguish early Christians not by ideology but by ethnicity, examining Jews in the first five centuries who continued to practice their tradition but acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah. . . . Well organized, with excerpts and references in the original languages, the text is thoroughly documented with a comprehensive bibliography of over 100 pages, and indexes of ancient sources, modern authors, and subjects. The extensive research makes this book an excellent resource for any discussion of Jewish believers in Jesus in the early centuries. . . . Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above."
Choice
"[T]he abundance of source material will be of great use to anyone wishing to investigate these topics or periods. The material provided will lead to further study of 'Jewish believers' or may help one to find another designation for this group of Jewish disciples of Jesus."
Review of Biblical Literature
"This is probably the most comprehensive treatment of the subject matter in decades and is likely to remain unsurpassed for some time to come."
Journal for the Study of the New Testament Booklist
"The fullest treatment of the evidence and issues concerning early Jewish believers in Jesus. . . . This volume features a galaxy of respected scholars known for their expertise and measured approach. . . . . Those who want serious, in-depth, and patient handling of all the evidence on 'Jewish believers' can find no better one-volume resource than this one."
Larry Hurtado,
blog (larryhurtado.wordpress.com)
"Jewish Believers in Jesus presents an abundance of information that will no doubt be welcomed by ancient church historians and scholars of Judaism alike. The findings of the contributors of this anthology demand that a new paradigm be found to replace F. C. Baur's thesis concerning the history of Jewish and Pauline Christianity in the first century. The articles are clearly written, conventional in outline, and would make excellent reading for college students."
Bulletin for Biblical Research
"The comprehensiveness and generally high quality of the individual chapters will ensure that for the foreseeable future this volume will be a work of reference for all those who are seriously interested in ancient Jewish Christianity."
Journal of Ecclesiastical History
"This valuable collection of essays . . . makes a genuine contribution to our understanding of early Christianity. The title of the collection is significant. In their helpful introduction and in the final assessment at the end of the volume by Professor Skarsaune, the editors make clear that the focus is not on particular 'sects' or so-called heretical groups of 'Jewish Christians,' but on the presence of 'Jewish believers in Jesus' who were an integral and significant part of the early Christian, predominantly Gentile communities. The numerous essays in the volume, all by experts in the field of New Testament study, archaeology, and early Christian history examine the evidence for this sector of the early Christian church. The editors refrain from attempting to draw any final synthesis or definitive conclusion, but rather see this volume itself as a contribution to ongoing research on this neglected yet important dimension of the early church."
The Bible Today
"This is a collection to inform us of what we do not know, to expand what we do know, and to correct what we think we know. Every library should acquire it."
Theological Review
"During the 'early centuries,' there were a variety of Judaisms, including various Christian Judaisms, and a variety of Christianities, including various Jewish Christianities. It follows that there was a good deal of overlap and interaction between the two emerging religions, at least through the fourth century, and well into the Middle Ages. For readers who are interested in learning more about this fascinating period, the volume reviewed here provides a wealth of essays on virtually every facet of Jewish Christianity. . . . Most readers will find something of interest in this volume and benefit from the new perspective concerning the 'ways that never parted.'"
Reformed Review
"This valuable book is the outcome of fruitful co-operation between Scandinavian, American, and British scholars, and will provide help to students and scholars for years ahead."
Reformed Theological Review
"For lovers of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and Early Church History, here is a volume you can really sink your teeth into."
Trinity Seminary Review
"This collection brings a thorough analysis of the history and the theology of Jewish Christianity in the formative period of traditional Christianity. The examination of the various facets of this movement with all its complexities and nuances makes a significant contribution for a better understanding of the factors that played a role in the parting of the ways, while it makes us aware of the importance of the Jewish-Christian presence."
Jacques Doukhan,
Andrews University Seminary Studies