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Reviewed by:
  • The Jewish Jesus: Revelation, Reflection, Reclamation
  • Harold Kasimow
The Jewish Jesus: Revelation, Reflection, Reclamation, edited by Zev Garber. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press, 2011. 405 pp. $59.95.

Zev Garber, distinguished scholar of Judaica and editor of The Jewish Jesus, dedicates this volume to its "courageous and devoted" contributors: "Jews, who practice the faith of Jesus, and Christians, who believe by faith in Jesus. By the authority of Torah and Testament, they merge as one in proclaiming the Jewish Jesus and restoring his pivotal role in the history of Second Temple Judaism and beyond."

This dedication helps us understand the primary aim of this volume, which is to show that Jesus was firmly rooted in his Jewish religious identity, that, as Garber claims, "he lived and died as a faithful Jew" (p. 1). This is a view shared not only by the nineteen contributors to this book who are at the forefront of Jewish-Christian relations, but also by a growing number of religious authorities and scholars, including even Pope Benedict XVI. In his recent book Jesus of Nazareth, the Pope states that "Jesus lived by the whole of the Law and the Prophets, as he constantly told his disciples" (p. 333). Pope Benedict's affirmation of Jesus' Jewish religious identity obviously is not intended to diminish Christian faith in Christ, and this is certainly not the intent of Garber and his book's contributors who show us that Christians may affirm classical Christian dogmas about Christ while also acknowledging Jesus' commitment to Judaism.

Pope Benedict also says in Jesus of Nazareth that reading Rabbi Jacob Neusner's book A Rabbi Talks with Jesus "has opened my eyes to the greatness of Jesus' words" (p. 69). This statement reflects another of aim of The Jewish Jesus—to promote interfaith learning and mutual respect between Christians [End Page 142] and Jews. If the Pope's appreciation of Jesus' words can be enriched by reading a contemporary rabbi's book, then surely other Christians can have their views of Jesus enhanced by reading Jewish authors. Garber wants to promote this type of interfaith learning. He trusts that when Christians and Jews learn from each other—particularly but not only about how Jesus was a faithful Jew—they are likely to see each other and each other's religion in a new light and with greater appreciation.

For me, the essay "Before Whom Do We Stand?" by Henry Knight is a classic example of how Jewish-Christian dialogue can bring such a radical transformation. Knight details how his encounter with Zev Garber and other Jewish scholars and his study and friendship with Elie Wiesel have transformed his understanding of the Jewish tradition and his own Christian faith. In this essay, which is characterized by exceptional personal candor and integrity, Knight states: "With each reading Wiesel helps me see more—more about myself, more about the world in which we live, more about what happened during that night that was different than any other night and more about the people before whom I stand when I stand as a Christian before a Jew named Jesus" (pp. 323-324).

Jews and Christians, such as Garber and Knight, who have been deeply committed to the interfaith movement, are aware of the dramatic changes in the way many Christians view Judaism. The changes began in earnest with the Second Vatican Council's extraordinary decree Nostra Aetate (1965), which affirmed that God's covenant with the Jewish people was not revoked. In response to positive changes by Catholic and Protestant churches, in the year 2000 an interdenominational group of Jewish scholars issued "Dabru Emet [Speak the Truth]: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity," which acknowledges that "Christians know and serve God through Jesus Christ and the Christian tradition." Yet, despite this positive reference to Jesus, even this ground-breaking statement offers no reflection on the significance of Jesus. This is consistent with the approach of Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of the twentieth century and a great friend of some of the major Christian thinkers of his time.

At a conference at the Princeton Theological Seminary on October 28...

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