Jesus the Jewish Theologian by Brad H. Young

Jesus the Jewish Theologian by Brad H. Young ISBN-13: 9781565630604 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers Released: June 1, 1995

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
"Jesus the Jewish Theologian" establishes Jesus firmly within the context of first-century Judaism and shows how understanding Jesus' Jewishness is crucial for interpreting the New Testament and for understanding the nature of Christian faith. Insights from Jewish literature, archeology, and tradition help modern readers place Jesus within his original context. Particular attention is given to the Jewish roots of Jesus' teaching concerning the kingdom of God.


My Review:
Jesus the Jewish Theologian looks at Jesus' teachings and actions within the context of 1st-century Judaism. The author talked about what Jewish teachers around this time period were saying and doing that was similar to and provides insight into Jesus' words and actions. I found the information about inheritance as applied to the "Prodigal Son" parable to be very interesting. Much of the book focused on insights into Jesus' parables.

I have read other books that show how Jesus' teachings are more similar to the beliefs of Pharisees than the Sadducees and that he was joining in the debate going on within the Pharisees. However, this author stated that Jesus supported all of the Pharisees' teachings and implied that he was not in any conflict with them. He also explained how Pilate was a cruel man (and he was) who rightly bears the full blame for Jesus' crucifixion. I think the author went too far in reinterpreting what happened in an effort to fight anti-Semitism. Overall, though, I felt like this book was well worth reading for the insights gained into the meaning of Jesus parables.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Our Father Abraham by Marvin R. Wilson

Our Father Abraham by Marvin R. Wilson ISBN-13: 9780802804235 Paperback: 395 pages Publisher: Eerdmans Released: April 1989

Source: Bought used.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Although the roots of Christianity run deep into Hebrew soil, many Christians are regrettably uninformed about the rich Hebrew heritage of the church. This book develops a historical perspective on the Jewish origins of the church, sets forth the importance and nature of Hebrew thought, discusses how the church can become more attuned to the Hebraic mind-set of Scripture, and offers practical suggestions for interaction between Jews and Christians.


My Review:
Our Father Abraham was written about 30 years ago and is academic in tone, so I prefer the more recent books I've read on the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Still, I found this worth reading. When speaking about Christian beliefs, the author would state an extreme view found in Protestant or Catholic Christianity and state it like it was the common Christian belief. This meant that he was often arguing against things my church doesn't actually believe. But, anyway, he feels that Christians ought to be more Jewish if they're going to follow Jesus' teaching correctly.

So he educates the reader about the Jewish mindset on topics like marriage and the family, valuing the aged, the land of Israel, education, worship, and the Passover. He also provided a brief history about how Christianity started to reject the Jewish heritage of their Jewish Jesus. He talked about how the Christian church got biblical teachings wrong because of this and urges Christians to learn more about the Jewish faith by getting to know Jews today.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Case for Christ Devotional by Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg

The Case for Christ Daily Moment of Truth by Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg ISBN-13: 9780310092025 Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: Sept. 25, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher through BookLook Bloggers.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Leading apologists for Christianity Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg offer fact-based, intelligent devotions to build a foundational faith. These 180 insightful writings will strengthen your spiritual knowledge and touch your heart with life-changing truth.

Each devotion is based on a scientific, historical, or biblical fact that will bolster your confidence in Christ. You will be inspired, encouraged, and equipped. A reflection at the end of each entry allows you to consider this new knowledge and how to put it into action.

In these thoughtful devotions Strobel and Mittelberg articulate the reasons why Christians believe what they believe. Topics range from scientific discoveries to theological explanations.


My Review:
The Case for Christ Daily Moment of Truth contains 180 devotions that focus on defending or explaining what Christians believe. Each devotion was two pages in length and started with a verse or two from the Bible. The body of the devotion usually began with a critical comment about Christianity by an atheist or non-Christian. This was followed by a counter argument by a Christian scholar or apologist (like Michael Behe, Craig Evans, Ravi Zacharias, C.S. Lewis, William Lane Craig, and the authors).

A large number of the devotions were taken from Lee Strobel's "Case for..." books, so they talked about things like evidence for God creating the universe and time (which they implied He did through the Big Bang), the question of suffering, and evidence for Jesus' divinity, life, resurrection, and death. Each devotion ended with a short thought for reflection. If you've read Strobel's books or other in-depth apologetics books, you probably won't find much new here. However, if you (or a friend) are interested but don't have the time to read those books, this is a nice, bite-sized way to get informed.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Mornings with Bonhoeffer by Donald K. McKim

Mornings with Bonhoeffer by Donald K. McKim ISBN-13: 9781501864810 Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Abingdon Press Released: Oct. 2, 2018

Source: ARC review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
These stirring words are just a sample of the wisdom found in this collection of 100 devotions that guide and inspire us. Mornings with Bonhoeffer provides an acute understanding of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theological perspectives, helping us to reflect on what his thoughts can mean for faith and the Christian experience. Short excerpts from Bonhoeffer's letters and passages from his sermons, paired with the daily devotions, offer timeless and moving reminders of God's love for humanity speaking to the "head" and "heart" of theological understanding and personal faith.


My Review:
Mornings with Bonhoeffer contains 100 short devotions based off of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theological writings. For each entry, there's the verse reference that you look up in your own Bible. It's usually a chunk of 4-12 verses which Bonhoeffer was referring to in that day's quote. Then there's a short, 1-3 sentence long quote from Bonhoeffer. Then the author wrote 4-5 paragraphs of commentary on the Bonhoeffer quote, usually re-quoting the day's quote as he went. He explained the context of the quote and where it came from, clarified what Bonhoeffer meant (though usually that was obvious), and left the reader with a core concept to meditate on throughout the day. Each entry was about 1.5 pages long and only took a few minutes to read. While the author usually stayed focused on Christ and used good, core Christian concepts in the devotions, I had thought there was going to be more of Bonhoeffer--the devotion being Bonhoeffer's writings themselves, not someone talking about what he said. So it was fine, just not what I'd expected.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.