Our father Abraham : Jewish roots of the Christian faith / Marvin R. Wilson.

Includes bibliographical references.

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 -- 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 -- 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 -- 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."

IV 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."

This manuscript was written with the hope that it will prove instrumental in pointing Christians of every denomination and ethnic background to the importance and richness of their Hebrew heritage.Our Father Abraham is an introduction to the world of Hebrew thought. It is intended primarily for Christians, but it is hoped that Jews may benefit from much of this book as well. Although this work is a biblical, historical, and cultural study, the reader will quickly find out that it is concerned with more than exploring the past.