The Changing Christian World: A Brief Introduction for Jews - Softcover

Schoolman, Rabbi Leonard A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1580233449 ISBN 13: 9781580233446

Publisher: Jewish Lights, 2008

Synopsis

An insightful exploration into Christianity today―written especially for Jews.

For many Jews, discerning the differences among various Christian groups is perplexing. As a result, they are stuck with an outdated understanding of Christian beliefs, practices and attitudes, especially with regard to their relationship with Judaism, Jews and Israel.

But Christian views are evolving, particularly since the landmark 1965 Catholic statement known as Nostra Aetate that forever changed the landscape of Jewish-Christian relations. This intriguing, brief introduction focuses on the changing Christian currents within the Roman Catholic Church, Protestant denominations, nondenominational megachurches and the emergent church. It also explores the essential doctrines that undergird most Christian belief, including sin, salvation, Jesus as the Messiah, the Second Coming and Christian Zionism―and compares them to the Jewish understanding of these issues.

Designed to answer Jews’ common questions about Christianity, this enlightening overview is also an excellent interfaith resource that will help all readers understand the changing Christian climate and what its implications are for the future of Judaism and interfaith relations.

About this title

About the Author

Rabbi Leonard A. Schoolman is director of the Center for Religious Inquiry, an interreligious adult education program at Saint Bartholomew's Church in New York. Previously he was the founding director of the Center for Theological Studies at Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) in Houston, Texas, and, for eighteen years, the national director of program for the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now Union for Reform Judaism).

From the Inside Flap

"We are beginning a new era of Christian-Jewish relationships. There have been important, positive steps forward.... Our goal in this book is to give Jews an understanding of the wide spectrum of the changes in Christianity, and to [help them] appreciate the nuances of Christian thought and practice."
--from Chapter 1

The sea change in contemporary Christian faith and teaching in recent decades has been unprecedented. Yet for those unfamiliar with these changes, common questions remain:

*What are the current attitudes of the major Christian denominations toward the Jewish people and Judaism?
*What is the role of Israel in Christian thought?
*What is "original sin" and why is it so central to Christian teaching?
*Who are Messianic Jews, and why do some Christians want to convert us?
*Why the popularity of the Christian apocalyptic Left Behind series of novels?
*What are megachurches and the emergent church movement?

Wide-ranging and compelling, this accessible survey will help you understand these topics and more as Jewish-Christian relations continue to evolve into the twenty-first century.

Edition details

• Publisher: Jewish Lights
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1580233449
• ISBN 13: 9781580233446
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176