Reviewed Book: Judaism: An Introduction for Christians. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1987

Bence, Barry

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 14Issue 1 Essays: Historical and Theological Article 135-1-1988Judaism: An Introduction for ChristiansBarry BenceFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationBence, Barry (1988) "Judaism: An Introduction for Christians," Consensus: Vol. 14 : Iss. 1 , Article 13.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol14/iss1/13Book Reviews 119Judaism: An Introduction For ChristiansEdited and Translated by James LimburgMinneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1987285 pp.Aaron Copland, Beverly Sills, David Barrett, Bora Laskin, WilliamShatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Gershwin, Lome Green, Rich Little,Mordecai Richler. These names underline the remarkable contribution ofNorth American Jews to our culture, all the more impressive since Jewsmake up 2.5% of the population of the United States, or 1.2% of Canada’s.But how much do we Christians really know about Judaism as a livingfaith? This book grew out of a series of essays prepared to help GermanChristians understand Jewish faith. A panel of North Americans, includingLarry Denef of the Evangelical Lutheran Church In Canada, helped adaptand translate their work to our own setting. I’ve been a student of OldTestament (the Hebrew Scriptures) since day one in Seminary, and so Ienjoyed several aspects of this book.For instance, no one can write Winnipeg’s history without understand-ing the North End. But I didn’t know that Winnipeg is the third largestcenter of Jewish life in Canada—right behind Montreal and Toronto. Nordid I know that the first Jewish immigrants to the New World came fromRecife, Brazil (the Portuguese took over that colony from the Dutch andgave the Jews three months to leave)! About 122 years after that firstarrival in New Amsterdam, our American cousins took a quotation fromthe Hebrew Scriptures for their Liberty Bell. By contrast, the first Jews tosettle in Canada came to Montreal just about eight years before the U.S.declared its independence. Limburg’s book doesn’t say so, but as late as theHolocaust in the 1940s, Canadian immigration officials were still makingit almost impossible for Jewish people to settle here and survive. MaybeCanada should have poured a Liberty Bell herself?I found three parts of this excellent book of real importance for my ownspiritual pilgrimage. First, during the September High Holy Days when ourJewish brothers and sisters were praying the Day of Atonement and NewYear prayers, I prepared a special Service of the Word for our parish’sSunday morning worship, using various prayers from the Jewish liturgies,along with Hebrew Scripture readings, and an Israeli folk song we learnedyears ago in Vacation Church School. I really enjoyed the new way theSpirit helped us pray. Certainly, we will all be enriched as we read howworship in the Jewish home is as significant as synagogue worship. Howmany of us celebrate the feasts of our faith with family liturgies?Second, back in my Seminary days I helped take part in one of thefirst Jewish-Christian dialogues that Gettysburg Seminary hosted. As Lim-burg’s book reminds us, the faith of Jesus (Judaism) unites us; faith in Je-sus divides us. But I came away from these pages convinced that our ownEvangelical Lutheran Church In Canada ought to begin a similar dialogue120 Consensushere in Canada as a matter of high priority. How many of us, for instance,can describe the “denominations” of Judaism to the same degree we candetail differences in Christianity?Finally, the one spectre that haunts our century as does no other isthe Shoah, the Holocaust. We Canadians need to be almost physically sickas we reflect on some recent headlines that tell us how hatred can thrivein Alberta classrooms or in Ontario society. Not only must anti-semitismbe seen as a theological heresy, but as the spiritual question above all.Where was God in the concentration camps? Elie Wiesel saw him die onthe gallows at the hands of a Nazi-Satan. No Christian should ever praythe 22nd Psalm as if it were only a Good Friday liturgical support piece,unless every syllable, every sound, be first heard echoed in Auschwitz andBuchenwald. How dare we pray this prayer as ours, unless we first pray itas theirs?Judaism: An Introduction for Christians is ea^y to read, and a greatsource for what almost every major church body has ever said on anti-semitism. There are additional resources including, wonder of wonders,Canadian addresses for B’nai B’rith. How tragic if we Christians allowourselves to see Judaism as having come to an end with the Pharisees,who, it turns out, were pretty great believers as believers go! Without theirRabbis and scholars, what a poor Bible we would have, an incomprehensiblebook apart from the living faith that gave its light to the world! Yes, thisdefinitely is one book every Christian ought to read.Barry BenceLutheran Church of the CrossLac du Bonnet, ManitobaReading the New Testament: Methods of Interpreta-tionChristopher TuckettPhiladelphia; Fortress Press, 1987The work under review consists of an introduction to the main methodsused in the interpretation of the New Testament, the primary purpose ofwhich is to provide for students a discussion of the many ways the NewTestament can be interpreted.Tuckett begins from the premise that the whole purpose of biblicalstudy is to enable us to bridge the gap between our day and the firstcentury. Tuckett sets out a definition for the normative role of the Biblein Christian life. In contrast to earlier positions of Christians who usedthe Bible as a source of “proof-texts”, Tuckett stresses that the Bible isnormative in the sense that the canon provides the basis, the starting point

Judaism: An Introduction for Christians

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 14
Issue 1 Essays: Historical and Theological Article 13
5-1-1988
Judaism: An Introduction for Christians
Barry Bence
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Bence, Barry (1988) "Judaism: An Introduction for Christians," Consensus: Vol. 14 : Iss. 1 , Article 13.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol14/iss1/13
Book Reviews 119
Judaism: An Introduction For Christians
Edited and Translated by James Limburg
Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1987
285 pp.
Aaron Copland, Beverly Sills, David Barrett, Bora Laskin, William
Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Gershwin, Lome Green, Rich Little,
Mordecai Richler. These names underline the remarkable contribution of
North American Jews to our culture, all the more impressive since Jews
make up 2.5% of the population of the United States, or 1.2% of Canada’s.
But how much do we Christians really know about Judaism as a living
faith? This book grew out of a series of essays prepared to help German
Christians understand Jewish faith. A panel of North Americans, including
Larry Denef of the Evangelical Lutheran Church In Canada, helped adapt
and translate their work to our own setting. I’ve been a student of Old
Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures) since day one in Seminary, and so I
enjoyed several aspects of this book.
For instance, no one can write Winnipeg’s history without understand-
ing the North End. But I didn’t know that Winnipeg is the third largest
center of Jewish life in Canada—right behind Montreal and Toronto. Nor
did I know that the first Jewish immigrants to the New World came from
Recife, Brazil (the Portuguese took over that colony from the Dutch and
gave the Jews three months to leave)! About 122 years after that first
arrival in New Amsterdam, our American cousins took a quotation from
the Hebrew Scriptures for their Liberty Bell. By contrast, the first Jews to
settle in Canada came to Montreal just about eight years before the U.S.
declared its independence. Limburg’s book doesn’t say so, but as late as the
Holocaust in the 1940s, Canadian immigration officials were still making
it almost impossible for Jewish people to settle here and survive. Maybe
Canada should have poured a Liberty Bell herself?
I found three parts of this excellent book of real importance for my own
spiritual pilgrimage. First, during the September High Holy Days when our
Jewish brothers and sisters were praying the Day of Atonement and New
Year prayers, I prepared a special Service of the Word for our parish’s
Sunday morning worship, using various prayers from the Jewish liturgies,
along with Hebrew Scripture readings, and an Israeli folk song we learned
years ago in Vacation Church School. I really enjoyed the new way the
Spirit helped us pray. Certainly, we will all be enriched as we read how
worship in the Jewish home is as significant as synagogue worship. How
many of us celebrate the feasts of our faith with family liturgies?
Second, back in my Seminary days I helped take part in one of the
first Jewish-Christian dialogues that Gettysburg Seminary hosted. As Lim-
burg’s book reminds us, the faith of Jesus (Judaism) unites us; faith in Je-
sus divides us. But I came away from these pages convinced that our own
Evangelical Lutheran Church In Canada ought to begin a similar dialogue
120 Consensus
here in Canada as a matter of high priority. How many of us, for instance,
can describe the “denominations” of Judaism to the same degree we can
detail differences in Christianity?
Finally, the one spectre that haunts our century as does no other is
the Shoah, the Holocaust. We Canadians need to be almost physically sick
as we reflect on some recent headlines that tell us how hatred can thrive
in Alberta classrooms or in Ontario society. Not only must anti-semitism
be seen as a theological heresy, but as the spiritual question above all.
Where was God in the concentration camps? Elie Wiesel saw him die on
the gallows at the hands of a Nazi-Satan. No Christian should ever pray
the 22nd Psalm as if it were only a Good Friday liturgical support piece,
unless every syllable, every sound, be first heard echoed in Auschwitz and
Buchenwald. How dare we pray this prayer as ours, unless we first pray it
as theirs?
Judaism: An Introduction for Christians is ea^y to read, and a great
source for what almost every major church body has ever said on anti-
semitism. There are additional resources including, wonder of wonders,
Canadian addresses for B’nai B’rith. How tragic if we Christians allow
ourselves to see Judaism as having come to an end with the Pharisees,
who, it turns out, were pretty great believers as believers go! Without their
Rabbis and scholars, what a poor Bible we would have, an incomprehensible
book apart from the living faith that gave its light to the world! Yes, this
definitely is one book every Christian ought to read.
Barry Bence
Lutheran Church of the Cross
Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba
Reading the New Testament: Methods of Interpreta-
tion
Christopher Tuckett
Philadelphia; Fortress Press, 1987
The work under review consists of an introduction to the main methods
used in the interpretation of the New Testament, the primary purpose of
which is to provide for students a discussion of the many ways the New
Testament can be interpreted.
Tuckett begins from the premise that the whole purpose of biblical
study is to enable us to bridge the gap between our day and the first
century. Tuckett sets out a definition for the normative role of the Bible
in Christian life. In contrast to earlier positions of Christians who used
the Bible as a source of “proof-texts”, Tuckett stresses that the Bible is
normative in the sense that the canon provides the basis, the starting point


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