In the The Misunderstood Jew, scholar Amy-Jill Levine helps Christians and Jews understand the "Jewishness" of Jesus so that their appreciation of him deepens and a greater interfaith dialogue can take place. Levine's humor and informed truth-telling provokes honest conversation and debate about how Christians and Jews should understand Jesus, the New Testament, and each other.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Read this book:
If you love Jesus, you should read this book. If you keep these type of books around to refer to them, buy this book. Otherwise, borrow it from the library or share the cost with friends. It does have some helpful information, but is not comprehensive in telling us about first century Judaism. It is more helpful than not, so it gets three stars.
Must reading for any thoughtful Christian - or Jew:
Prof. Amy-Jill Levine is a Jewish woman who attends an orthodox synagogue in Nashville and who occupies an endowed chair of New Testament studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School. If you make a habit of watching the various Jesus TV shows that appear around Christmastime and Easter, you've probably seen her on camera. A-J, as her students call her (I was her student for my M.Div., and still consider myself such) is an engaging lecturer with an appealing sense of humor and a simply awesome command of the... more info
Jesus is Jewish!:
This is the best book available today about the Jewishness of Jesus. Amy Jill Levine points out that many of the Gospel stories would hit home with more of us if we read the New Testament with the eyes of a first century Jewish person. She points out the Jewishness of each line of the Lord's Prayer and its similarities with the Mourner's Kaddish in Judaism. She also shows that the parable of the Good Samaritan will be more powerful when we realize that the role model of the story is the enemy of the... more info
Towards Mutual Understanding:
This is a first-rate publication that takes the reader into the Jewishness of Jesus in a vivid manner while sensitive to Jewish-Christian differences. The book is both scholarly as well as pastoral for it seeks to establish common links and points of commonality between the religions. A must-read for anyone interested in Christian-Jewish dialogue today....and for understanding the outlook of much of the New Testament.
