How the early Church Fathers Misinterpreted the Hebrew Bible to Promote Hostility toward the Jewish People: A Study in “Blaming the Victim”
| Author: | Evans, Roger S. | |
| Year: | 2014 | |
| Pages: | 388 | |
| ISBN: | 0-7734-4263-4 978-0-7734-4263-4 | |
| Price: | $239.95 + shipping | |
| (Click the PayPal button to buy) | ||
A revealing examination of the development of religious animosity through the manufacturing of an anti-Semitic and anti-Judaism atmosphere that remains widespread in Christian society today. This study uncovers how the early Christian Church Fathers’ torturous manipulation of the Hebrew Bible, caused the marginalization of the Jews socially, economically, legally, theologically, and spiritually.
Reviews
From the Author:
For both Christians and Jews, the Hebrew bible was the word of God, and commentaries on the word of God were attempts to understand both God and His dealings with His creation. Therefore, although Jewish and Christian commentators began at the same place (i.e., the reconstructed text), their intent in coming to the text was, and often is, entirely different.
What I have chosen to discuss in this book is what might be called the major texts aimed specifically at Judaism and/or the Jewish people either theologically or morally or ethically. Therefore, one of the intended consequences of these writings is to isolate the Jewish religion and people from God and the rest of humanity.
No scholar who has spent any time studying these texts phenomenon doubts that Christian anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism have a long pedigree that began as early as the first century C.E. The most insidious weapon that Christians have used was to employ the Jew’s own sacred literature against them. This book assembles and analyzes the texts from the Hebrew Bible that were used by early Christians to justify their own anti-Judaism beliefs.
For both Christians and Jews, the Hebrew bible was the word of God, and commentaries on the word of God were attempts to understand both God and His dealings with His creation. Therefore, although Jewish and Christian commentators began at the same place (i.e., the reconstructed text), their intent in coming to the text was, and often is, entirely different.
What I have chosen to discuss in this book is what might be called the major texts aimed specifically at Judaism and/or the Jewish people either theologically or morally or ethically. Therefore, one of the intended consequences of these writings is to isolate the Jewish religion and people from God and the rest of humanity.
No scholar who has spent any time studying these texts phenomenon doubts that Christian anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism have a long pedigree that began as early as the first century C.E. The most insidious weapon that Christians have used was to employ the Jew’s own sacred literature against them. This book assembles and analyzes the texts from the Hebrew Bible that were used by early Christians to justify their own anti-Judaism beliefs.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter I: Torah
Gen 12.3b
Context of Augustine’s Use of 12.3b
A Jewish Understanding of Gen 12.3b
A Modern Christian Commentary of Gen 12.3b
Gen 49.5–6
Context of Tertullian’s Use of Gen 49.5–6
A Jewish Understanding of Gen 49.5–6
A Modern Christian Commentary on Gen 49.5–6
Ex 12.8
Context of Melito’s Use of Ex 12.8
A Jewish Understanding of Ex 12.8
A Modern Christian Commentary on 12.8
Ex 32.1, 4
Context of Tertullian’s Use of Ex 32.1, 4
A Jewish Understanding of Ex 32.1, 4
A Modern Christian Commentary on 32.1, 4
Ex 32.7
Context of The Epistle of Barnabas’s Use of Ex 32.7
A Jewish Understanding of Ex 32.7
A Modern Christian Commentary on 32.7
Ex 34.28a
Context of The Epistle of Barnabas’s Use of Ex 34.28a
A Jewish Understanding of Ex 34.28a
A Modern Christian Commentary on 34.28a
Lev 26.22
Context of John Chrysostom’s Use of Lev 26.22 in his Eight Homilies against the Jews
A Jewish Understanding of Lev 26.22
A Modern Christian Commentary on Lev 26.22
Dt 10.16
Context of Tertullian’s Use of Dt 10.16
A Jewish Understanding of Dt 10.16
A Modern Christian Commentary on Dt 10.16
Dt 21.22–23
Context of Tertullian’s Use of Dt 21.22–2
A Jewish Understanding of Dt 21.22–23
A Modern Christian Commentary on Dt 21.22–23
Dt 28.64–65
Context of Tertullian’s Use of Dt 28.64–65
A Jewish Understanding of Dt 28.64–65
A Modern Christian Commentary on Dt 28.64–65
Chapter II: Nevi’im
1 Ki 189.21b
Context of Chrysostom’s Use of 1 Ki 189.21b
A Jewish Understanding of 1 Ki 189.21b
A Modern Christian Commentary on 1 Ki 189.21b
Introduction to the Christian Fathers’ Use of Isaiah
AND MUCH MORE
Chapter I: Torah
Gen 12.3b
Context of Augustine’s Use of 12.3b
A Jewish Understanding of Gen 12.3b
A Modern Christian Commentary of Gen 12.3b
Gen 49.5–6
Context of Tertullian’s Use of Gen 49.5–6
A Jewish Understanding of Gen 49.5–6
A Modern Christian Commentary on Gen 49.5–6
Ex 12.8
Context of Melito’s Use of Ex 12.8
A Jewish Understanding of Ex 12.8
A Modern Christian Commentary on 12.8
Ex 32.1, 4
Context of Tertullian’s Use of Ex 32.1, 4
A Jewish Understanding of Ex 32.1, 4
A Modern Christian Commentary on 32.1, 4
Ex 32.7
Context of The Epistle of Barnabas’s Use of Ex 32.7
A Jewish Understanding of Ex 32.7
A Modern Christian Commentary on 32.7
Ex 34.28a
Context of The Epistle of Barnabas’s Use of Ex 34.28a
A Jewish Understanding of Ex 34.28a
A Modern Christian Commentary on 34.28a
Lev 26.22
Context of John Chrysostom’s Use of Lev 26.22 in his Eight Homilies against the Jews
A Jewish Understanding of Lev 26.22
A Modern Christian Commentary on Lev 26.22
Dt 10.16
Context of Tertullian’s Use of Dt 10.16
A Jewish Understanding of Dt 10.16
A Modern Christian Commentary on Dt 10.16
Dt 21.22–23
Context of Tertullian’s Use of Dt 21.22–2
A Jewish Understanding of Dt 21.22–23
A Modern Christian Commentary on Dt 21.22–23
Dt 28.64–65
Context of Tertullian’s Use of Dt 28.64–65
A Jewish Understanding of Dt 28.64–65
A Modern Christian Commentary on Dt 28.64–65
Chapter II: Nevi’im
1 Ki 189.21b
Context of Chrysostom’s Use of 1 Ki 189.21b
A Jewish Understanding of 1 Ki 189.21b
A Modern Christian Commentary on 1 Ki 189.21b
Introduction to the Christian Fathers’ Use of Isaiah
AND MUCH MORE