Understanding Judaism

The earliest Christians were Jews who had come to believe that Jesus was Israel's promised Messiah. They read the Torah, celebrated the Jewish feasts, worshiped in the Jerusalem temple, and followed the Jewish traditions. But somewhere in the early centuries of the first millennia, what had been one of the streams of First Century Judaism separated from its early roots and became what we know today as Christianity. As centuries rolled on, the followers of Jesus forgot their Jewish roots, misunderstood their Jewish "second cousins," and began to persecute the people they held responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus. The Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, and the Nazi Holocaust are the sad results of the historic breach between Jews and Christians, due mostly to misunderstanding and prejudice.

And yet, Christians and Jews share a holy book, the Hebrew Bible (of "Old Testament") We believe in the same God. We love the same stories about David and Goliath; Nehemiah and his wall; Jonah and the great fish. We share the great history of the patriarchs, prophets, and kings of Israel. We embrace the same ethics and virtues, valuing kindness, compassion, and justice for all people. We share the promises that God has given His people of a Messiah who will redeem humanity and restore wellbeing, peace, and justice in our sin damaged world. Together, Jews and Christians look forward to a better and blessed future.

This book is written to create understanding and appreciation of Christianity's historic roots in Judaism. It is easy for animosity to thrive where there is a lack of understanding. This often leads to disagreement, prejudice, and hostility. And there is more than enough of this going on in our world today. My book, "Understanding Judaism: A Primer for Curious Christians," is written (1) to remind Christians of their historic roots in Judaism, (2) to explain how Judaism has evolved since the biblical period, (3) to share the significance of the Holocaust in Jewish experience and memory, and (4) to encourage an appreciation for what Christians and Jews share in common. I hope that "Understanding Judaism" will serve as a deterrent to anti-Semitism and an encouragement toward reconciliation between two religious traditions which share a faith in the God of Israel.