Our father Abraham : Jewish roots of the Christian faith
(Book)

I A new people? Abraham's spiritual children : 1 The root and branches ; "look to Abraham your father" ; Athens or Jerusalem? ; The world of the Bible ; The olive root and branches ; Grafted into Israel ; 2 Gentiles, Jews, and Jewish heritage ; A new spiritual family ; Salvation by grace or works? A new terminology ; Gentile and Christian are not synonymous ; A western world with an eastern book ; The problem of Judaizing ; Diversity among early believers ; Not bound but free ; Judaizing in Bible times Paul and the Law ; Jewish heritage and today's Church

II Church and Synagogue in the light of history : 3 The earliest Church and Judaism ; Jesus and His followers ; Beginnings: A Jewish Church ; The Hebraists and the Hellenists ; Stephen and the Hellenists ; Outreach to Gentiles ; The special calling of Paul ; Further success among the Gentiles ; The council of Jerusalem ; 4 Theological conflict and persecution ; Theological differences ; Jesus: Man or God? ; A radical reinterpretation of Jewish symbols ; The unusual mission of Jesus ; Abba and the uniqueness of Jesus ; Messianic expectations and Jesus ; Belief in the resurrection of Jesus ; Persecutions ; Jews persecuting Jews ; Acts of mob violence ; Saul the persecutor ; Paul the persecuted ; Summary ;

5 "Heretics" and the Synagogue ; The Birkat ha-Minim: definition ; The origin of the benediction ; The Minim and Notzrim ; "Put out of the Synagogue" ; The Nidduy and Herem ; Conclusion ; 6 The Jewish revolts and the parting of the way ; The first Jewish revolt (A.D. 66-73) ; The fall of Masada ; The flight to Pella ; Between revolts: The academy at Yavneh ; From Sabbath to Lord's day ; The second Jewish revolt (A.D. 132-135) ; The leadership of Bar Kokhba ; A defeated Jewish nation ; Jewish Christians and the war ; The parting of the way ; 7 A history of contempt: Anti-Semitism and the Church ; The "New" Israel emerges ; From de-Judaizing to Anti-Judaism ; The early fathers: Blaming the victims ; Allegory: An attempt to rescue the Jewish Scriptures ; Anti-Semitism in the middle ages ; From Luther to the present

III Understanding Hebrew thought : 8 The Old Testament: Hebraic foundation of the Church ; The heresy of Marcion ; Neo-Marcionism ; A neglected treasure ; The Bible of the early Church ; Two parts, yet one Book ; The theological key ; God-breathed and useful ; Discovering the Jewish Jesus ; Other early Jewish sources ; The Shema: Core affirmation of Israel's faith ; Christianity is Jewish ; The Hebrew Bible and American beginnings ; Foundational, not optional ;

9 the contour of Hebrew thought ; An energetic people, a descriptive language ; The power of poetry ; Painting verbal pictures ; Block logic ; A time for meditation ; Everything is theological ; Religion as a way of life ; A different view of time and history ; 10 Where the Church went wrong ; Dynamic unity versus dualism ; To enjoy or not to enjoy? ; To marry or not to marry? ; Otherworldliness versus this-worldliness ; Spirituality: Heavenly or earthly? ; Salvation: Escape or involvement? ; Faith: Thinking or acting? ; The individual versus the community ; Independent Christians ; A corporate body ;The Church as community

11 Marriage and the family through Hebrew eyes ; Current attitudes ; Biblical foundations: Genesis and marriage ; The goodness of marriage and sex ; The blessing of children ; Companionship: "leaving and cleaving" ; Matched to one another ; Love after marriage ; Marriage and Sinai: Two covenants compared ; The Bridegroom and His bride ; Marriage as contract ; The groom comes and waits ; A procession with fire ; Set apart unto the other ; A time for preparation ; A permanent covenant ; An exclusive commitment ; Word as promise ; Periodic renewal ; Jewish insights into marriage and the family ; Respect for family background ; The centrality of prayer ; Support of the community ; Sharing a common destiny ; Lifting each other up ; Values within the home ; The home as a small temple ; Peace in the home ; Bringing guests home ; Learning about the family through fiddler ; The plot of fiddler ; A love that grows after marriage ; Respect for manual labor ; Sabbath observance ; Parental respect ; We are all Tevyes ; Older and better: Aging through Hebrew eyes ; The pinnacle of life ; Physical decline ; Honoring those worthy of honor ; Need for care and support ; The wisdom of experience ; active to the end ; Hope of the resurrection ;

6 The Jewish revolts and the parting of the way ; The first Jewish revolt (A.D. 66-73) ; The fall of Masada ; The flight to Pella ; Between revolts: The academy at Yavneh ; From Sabbath to Lord's day ; The second Jewish revolt (A.D. 132-135) ; The leadership of Bar Kokhba ; A defeated Jewish nation ; Jewish Christians and the war ; The parting of the way ; 7 A history of contempt: Anti-Semitism and the Church ; The "New" Israel emerges ; From de-Judaizing to Anti-Judaism ; The early fathers: Blaming the victims ; Allegory: An attempt to rescue the Jewish Scriptures ; Anti-Semitism in the middle ages ; From Luther to the present

III Understanding Hebrew thought : 8 The Old Testament: Hebraic foundation of the Church ; The heresy of Marcion ; Neo-Marcionism ; A neglected treasure ; The Bible of the early Church ; Two parts, yet one Book ; The theological key ; God-breathed and useful ; Discovering the Jewish Jesus ; Other early Jewish sources ; The Shema: Core affirmation of Israel's faith ; Christianity is Jewish ; The Hebrew Bible and American beginnings ; Foundational, not optional ; 9 the contour of Hebrew thought ; An energetic people, a descriptive language ; The power of poetry ; Painting verbal pictures ; Block logic ; A time for meditation ; Everything is theological ; Religion as a way of life ; A different view of time and history ; 10 Where the Church went wrong ; Dynamic unity versus dualism ; To enjoy or not to enjoy? ; To marry or not to marry? ; Otherworldliness versus this-worldliness ; Spirituality: Heavenly or earthly? ; Salvation: Escape or involvement? ; Faith: Thinking or acting? ; The individual versus the community ; Independent Christians ; A corporate body ;The Church as community

IV Jewish heritage and the Church: Selected studies : 11 Marriage and the family through Hebrew eyes ; Current attitudes ; Biblical foundations: Genesis and marriage ; The goodness of marriage and sex ; The blessing of children ; Companionship: "leaving and cleaving" ; Matched to one another ; Love after marriage ; Marriage and Sinai: Two covenants compared ; The Bridegroom and His bride ; Marriage as contract ; The groom comes and waits ; A procession with fire ; Set apart unto the other ; A time for preparation ; A permanent covenant ; An exclusive commitment ; Word as promise ; Periodic renewal ; Jewish insights into marriage and the family ; Respect for family background ; The centrality of prayer ; Support of the community ; Sharing a common destiny ; Lifting each other up ; Values within the home ; The home as a small temple ; Peace in the home ; Bringing guests home ; Learning about the family through fiddler ; The plot of fiddler ; A love that grows after marriage ; Respect for manual labor ; Sabbath observance ; Parental respect ; We are all Tevyes ; Older and better: Aging through Hebrew eyes ; The pinnacle of life ; Physical decline ; Honoring those worthy of honor ; Need for care and support ; The wisdom of experience ; active to the end ; Hope of the resurrection ;

12 Passover and last supper ; The origin of Passover ; Passover in Old Testament times ; Mosaic teaching on the Passover ; Celebrations throughout the Old Testament ; Passover in New Testament times ; A spectacle of excitement ; Passover Eve ; The Seder ; Jesus' Last supper ; Passover today ; The home Seder ; Liturgy of the Synagogue ; Hope of future redemption ; Passover and contemporary Christianity ; 13 Jews, Christians, and the land ; Jews and the Land: An overview ; Election and preservation ; Biblical and historical ties to the land ; The spiritual-secular tension of modern Zionism ; Christian approaches to the State of Israel ; Replaced by the Church ; Fulfillment of prophecy-divine right ; A homeland rooted in justice ; Christians and support of Israel ; Epilogue: Prospects for peace '

14 A life of learning: The heart of Jewish heritage ; Education in Old Testament times ; The Hebrew view of wisdom ; Young fools and old fools ; The "open" fool ;The "mocking" fool ;The "God-denying" fool ; The Hebrew view of knowledge ; Education with a difference ; The sweetness of learning ; Hebraic insights on the task of teaching ; Edifying the learner ; Explaining ideas ; Impressing the mind ; Giving guidance ; Training and disciplining ; Education in New Testament times ; Everyone a student ; Teaching methods and priorities ; By word of mouth, not books ; Memorizing the lesson ; Scheduled and spontaneous learning ; A major commitment of time ; Visual aids and object lessons ; Respect for the word ; Music and song ; Study as worship ; "Guard it well, for it is your life" ;

V Toward restoring Jewish roots : 15 If not now,when? ; Preliminary considerations for Christians ; A Jewish heart ; A humble spirit ; A long-term venture ; Face-to-face in dialogue ; The purpose of dialogue ; Dealing with differences ; Education and personal growth ; Drinking from the sources ; Affective learning ; Social action ; A covenant of caring ; Revising agendas ; " The greatest of these is love".