"Within Judaism"

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 Karin Hedner Zetterholm & Anders Runesson, Within Judaism? Interpretive Trajectories in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from the First to the Twenty-First Century. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2023.

This book is truly amazing. Hedner Zetterholm, Runesson, and their excellent contributors pause to examine the subject itself, to explore what is at stake and for whom, and to put a conclusion to the different arguments. The authors of each section try to point to potential avenues forward, even as arguments over placing New Testament texts "within Judaism" continue to shake up the area of biblical studies. The twenty-five chapters' writers are knowledgeable experts in a challenging yet crucial area of study.

 

Christians have interpreted parts of the New Testament as "Jewish" for centuries, understanding "Jewish" to be authored by (converted) Jews for other Jews. From a historical standpoint, it appears that these methods undervalue the significance of these works, according to a recent scholarly development. In fact, even more modern attempts to comprehend the New Testament in light of Judaism have proven to be unsuccessful. Rather, by situating these texts in the larger framework of the various ways that Jews embodied their ancestral customs prior to the Second Temple period, this interpretive trajectory—which includes scholars from a wide range of backgrounds—insists that the New Testament is best understood as a statement of Judaism.

 

We have a limited understanding of the ancient world's nature due to the scarcity of historical records from that era. In fact, people from that time would likely not even comprehend that we are the offspring of the Gentile disciples he taught, much less know what was going on, even if he could speak our language. The people of the New Testament must be experienced by us as strangers.

 

The value of this book lies in the fact that it gathers together a diverse array of perspectives from "within Judaism." This movement has drawn traction over the past 25 years. Viewing Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions from previously overlooked perspectives can provide insightful conceptual and historical information that readers unfamiliar with "within Judaism" approaches may find useful. Additionally, readers who are already familiar with some topics can benefit from seeing how related analyses are applied to other topics. This is a book that you will return to again and time again.

 

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