Excellent4.8 out of 5On Trustpilot
  1. The Church/
  2. Church History

Killing the Torah: The Roots of Christian Anti-Judaism and Anti-Semitism

by Bejarano Gutierrez Juan Marcos Bejarano Gutierrez

  • Paperback
  • Publisher: Independently Published
  • 15.3 x 22.9 x 0.6 cm

£9.51

Available - Usually dispatched within 6 days

Buying for a school or church? Upgrade to a FREE Eden Advance Account

Free delivery on orders over £10

Despite significant improvement in interfaith dialogue in some quarters between Christians and Jews, many Christians still maintain theological positions that are inimical to fundamental Jewish beliefs, and consequently, to the Jewish people. The essential perspective that sets the tone for Christian attitudes towards Jews and Judaism is their theological view of the Torah. Most Christians will argue that they hold no bias against the Torah. They cannot, they claim, since it forms a part of their biblical canon. The reality, however, is that theologically many Christians are guilty of legicide, i.e., killing the Torah, much in the same way that they have historically accused Jews of deicide, i.e., of killing God incarnate.Where my previous works have focused on Jewish attitudes towards Christians, this work is focused on challenging Christians to ensure that their perspectives on the Torah are not merely lip service to what forms the foundation for Jewish identity. The famed Lutheran theologian Rudolf Bultmann stated in 1933 that the Hebrew Scriptures were no longer revelation as it has been and still is for Jews, More seriously he stated that the Hebrew Scripture means nothing more to Christians. Bultmann, a professor of the New Testament at the University of Marburg, did not believe that the Hebrew Scriptures should be discarded, however. But this was only, perhaps unconsciously, so that it served as the sinister foil compared to the light of the Gospel. These ideas are not limited to Bultmann, however. Even a Christian theology generally favorable towards like Hans K ng stated that the apostle Paul was justified in killing the law. The mistake that Rudolf Bultmann and others have made is that despite their study of ancient Judaism and Second Temple Judaism, their attitudes towards the Torah prevented them from legitimately recognizing the existence of contemporary Jews. The Shoah, i.e., the Holocaust, did not sadly irrelevant and does not affect their religious beliefs. Rudolf Bultmann and others seemingly refused to understand this because the practical consequences of their theological views leave only two possibilities. The first proposition is that Judaism "died long ago." The second implication is closely related and perhaps more insidious. It renders contemporary Judaism a fraud. Maybe this statement is the most troubling to me since, as a rabbi, it strikes at the heart of my identity.The challenge for Christianity was the simultaneous adoption of the sacred texts of the Jewish people while also rendering them null and void. It was not only a matter of Christians choosing not to follow the man-dates of the Torah, but it was also to invalidate the legitimacy of continued Jewish observance and fidelity to it. The goal was, in effect, the killing of the Torah.
Killing the Torah: The Roots of Christian Anti-Judaism and Anti-Semitism and The Judaisms of Jesus' Followers: An Introduction to Early Christianity in its Jewish Context
The Judaisms of Jesus' Followers: An Introduction to Early Christianity in its Jewish ContextKilling the Torah: The Roots of Christian Anti-Judaism and Anti-Semitism

  • Author

    Bejarano Gutierrez Juan Marcos Bejarano Gutierrez

  • Book Format

    Paperback

  • Publisher

    Independently Published

  • Published

    August 2020

  • Weight

    155g

  • Dimensions

    15.3 x 22.9 x 0.6 cm

  • ISBN

    9798673814697

  • ISBN-10

    8673814693

  • Eden Code

    5300860

Over 14,000 churches and schools have upgraded to an Advance Account and we‘d love to welcome you into this free program. We know that church volunteers and school teachers often use their own money, then have claim it back on on an expense form. We can take all of that hassle away by invoicing your church or school directly and delivering your order straight away.

Opening an account is quick and easy, with most accounts being approved and setup within a few hours of filling in the form below (on weekdays, not weekends). As soon as we‘ve approved the application we‘ll send you an email to let you know that its done.

Upgrade to a FREE Eden Advance Account
Write a review
      Ask a question