Early Christian Thought in its Jewish Context (review)

The essays in this book were written to celebrate the sixty-fifth birthday of Morna D. Hooker, Lady Margaret’s Professor of Divinity in the University of Cambridge. Two essays constitute part one, situating the social context of early Christianity in relation to the Jews of Judaea and Galilee and to the Jews of the Diaspora. Part two is the main body of the volume, nine essays on the Jewish context of the various New Testament documents (except the seven General Epistles) and one on other early Christian writings. Part three contains six essays on themes that were central to discussions between Jews and Christians in New Testament times. The editors did a remarkable job of achieving a consistency of presentation not customarily found in Festschriften.

This volume represents the sober good sense of British scholarship as it evaluates the Jewishness and the Jewish setting of early Christianity. C. F. D. Moule in the introductory essay notes that the “paradoxical continuity yet also discontinuity between Judaism and Christianity is confirmed and illustrated” (p. 4). He summarizes the contributions to the third part in words applicable to the volume as a whole, “The newness of the Christian faith is clear, side by side with the continuities” (p. 5). He continues by affirming that the Christian movement emerges from the studies as “amply confirming its roots in Israel and as aiming not at abolition but at renewal,” although the result was the “supersession of certain Jewish ‘identity markers’” (p. 5). He concludes that the essays leave no room for a doctrine of two parallel and equally valid covenants, nor do they justify attributing anti-Semitism to early Christian writings. As indicative of the general tone, D. Moody Smith, one of the few non-British contributors, states, “While traditional messianic hope is obviously reinterpreted in John, such reinterpretation obviously begins within the ancient traditions themselves” (p. 106). And, James D. G. Dunn, writing on Ephesians, says, “It is the language of a Gentile Christianity which cannot understand itself except in terms of the category of Israel and of Israel’s blessings” (p. 139).

Sweet’s essay on the book of Revelation was the least satisfactory to me, although containing some helpful hints. Surprisingly, since he was one of the editors, his approach was the least like the other essays on the biblical books. Horbury’s treatment of “Land, sanctuary, and worship,” although rightly calling attention to the importance of the land in the Bible, offers speculative exegesis of some texts that others will read differently. Grayston, unlike the general thrust of the other contributors, finds more contrast than similarity between Jewish and Christian thought on the atonement and martyrdom.

The one essay in the book on the non-canonical literature is Graham Stanton’s treatment of the Didache, Ignatius, Barnabas, and Justin Martyr. He chooses these because of their closeness in various ways to the New Testament writings and because they represent varied attitudes to Judaism. In the Didache he finds some passages that are thoroughly Jewish, some distinctively Christian, and some hinting at Christian anti-Jewish polemic. Stanton notes the primacy of the Prophets over other parts of the Jewish scriptures for Ignatius, Barnabas, and Justin. He considers the purpose of Barnabas to be dissuading Christians from yielding to the attractions of vigorous local Jewish communities. In his list of Jewish practices that Barnabas discusses, Stanton strangely omits the washings that Barnabas contrasts with Christian baptism. The summary on Justin Martyr does not recognize Justin’s approach that posits two successive historical covenants.

This volume fulfills the publisher’s expectation that it will “attract attention and stimulate discussion” on a theme of much current interest, but only among those with access to libraries that can afford its price.