Negotiating Identities: Conflict, Conversion, and Consolidation in Early Judaism and Christianity
This book examines identity formation processes in early
Judaism and Christianity, using archaeological remains, historical studies, and
ancient sources. It explores how ethnicity, stereotyping, purity, communality,
and institution building shaped group identities. The chapters in this book
demonstrate how disputes about ethnicity, stereotyping, purity, commensality,
and institution building influenced the formation of group identities.
It's incredible how much terrain this book covers and
masters in a thought-provoking manner. It is almost like an advanced handbook
on various topics related to Judaism and its role in Early Christianity. This edited
work is an in-depth examination of the method, interpretation history,
historical context, Judaism's legacy in Early Christianity, and hermeneutics,
to name a few of the important subjects covered.
Furthermore, the book fulfills the objective of an academic
text. It uses prompting questions and allows for subsequent debates in the
academic classroom. These questions and discussions may not always agree with
the author's conclusions, but they will undoubtedly be refined. All in all, this
book serves as a constant dialogue partner for researchers of Early Judaism,
Early Christianity, and their respective histories.
While early Judaism studies were less focused on early
Christianity, they did not completely neglect Judaism. The study of Paul's life
and letters, for example, usually addressed questions about Paul's position on
Jewish law or halakhah, whereas studies of the Gospels frequently investigated
the historical participation of Jewish authorities in the events that led to
Jesus' death. Jewish ideas and practices, such as messianic beliefs, attitudes
toward the temple, and techniques of scripture interpretation, were frequently
discussed in the context of early Christianity.
This book demonstrates how, as Christian liberal ideas
evolved, there was a regrettable propensity to utilize alleged Jewish attitudes
toward women as a counterpoint to the presentation of Jesus and the Jesus
movement as considerably superior to Judaism in this regard. In contrast,
Jewish studies frequently neglected early Christianity, at least until the
early 2000s. Nonetheless, the two fields remained distinctly separate but equal
in nature.
It is not even correct to suggest that Christianity
eventually separated from Judaism. It is more appropriate to say that two great
traditions evolved from the matrix of biblical Judaism and the maelstrom of
late Second-Temple Judaism: early Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. Each
asserted exclusive continuity with the past. In reality, each was as
significant and genuine a development from that shared heritage as the other.
They are not child and father; they are two children from the same mother.
Consequently, the editors and contributors to this book
deserve an astute congratulations for creating a one-of-a-kind and important
compilation. This collection contains a wealth of important, up-to-date
information for all academics of this field. This book will be used for years
to help students understand conflict and conversion in Early Judaism and
Christianity.
Review Disclosure: I received this book free from Fontes Press. The opinions
I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,
Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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