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alexisrt's review against another edition
5.0
Like many Jews, I've noticed that Jews and Christians often read the same Biblical texts differently, and even said "Hey, you're reading this wrong!"
Professors Amy-Jill Levine and Mark Zvi Brettler have noticed this gap, too, and here they explore it. Both are Jewish; Professor Levine is a New Testament scholar and professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School; Professor Brettler is at Duke. They do not seek here to convince anyone that the Jewish readings are correct. Rather, they seek to explore the differing meanings and the reasons we read these texts differently. (The only reading they specifically reject is supersessionist or replacement theology, along with an antisemitic reading of Jonah from Martin Luther.)
The book begins with some general principles: How Jews and Christians view the same canon differently, historical context, and methods of textual exegesis. It then moves on to a selection of texts to understand the practical workings. Several main themes emerge. The first is translation. The original texts were not always clear, due to both variant versions and the Bible's lack of vowels. This led to ambiguity. The Jewish Tanach is based on the Masoretic Text. Christian interpretation of the Old Testament has been heavily influenced by the Greek Septuagint. In some cases, such as in Genesis 1, translation choices made in the Septuagint have lead to a different understanding of a passage.
Second, Christians interpret the Bible through references in the New Testament, particularly the Gospels: for example in Jonah. They also view the Old Testament backwards through a lens that accepts Jesus and Christian theology, using it to find proof texts that they believe foretell Jesus.
I was absolutely fascinated. Although I don't know ancient Greek, I am familiar with the Hebrew Tanach, and seeing how different passages were interpreted was extremely enlightening. I knew, for example, that Christians interpret Adam and Even as the origins of original sin, and that they claim Isaiah 53 was a foretelling of Jesus, but not why. I had no idea that there were interpretations of Jonah that linked the story to Jesus.
This would be a great read for both Jews and Christians seeking to understand our differences in Bible interpretation.
Professors Amy-Jill Levine and Mark Zvi Brettler have noticed this gap, too, and here they explore it. Both are Jewish; Professor Levine is a New Testament scholar and professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School; Professor Brettler is at Duke. They do not seek here to convince anyone that the Jewish readings are correct. Rather, they seek to explore the differing meanings and the reasons we read these texts differently. (The only reading they specifically reject is supersessionist or replacement theology, along with an antisemitic reading of Jonah from Martin Luther.)
The book begins with some general principles: How Jews and Christians view the same canon differently, historical context, and methods of textual exegesis. It then moves on to a selection of texts to understand the practical workings. Several main themes emerge. The first is translation. The original texts were not always clear, due to both variant versions and the Bible's lack of vowels. This led to ambiguity. The Jewish Tanach is based on the Masoretic Text. Christian interpretation of the Old Testament has been heavily influenced by the Greek Septuagint. In some cases, such as in Genesis 1, translation choices made in the Septuagint have lead to a different understanding of a passage.
Second, Christians interpret the Bible through references in the New Testament, particularly the Gospels: for example in Jonah. They also view the Old Testament backwards through a lens that accepts Jesus and Christian theology, using it to find proof texts that they believe foretell Jesus.
I was absolutely fascinated. Although I don't know ancient Greek, I am familiar with the Hebrew Tanach, and seeing how different passages were interpreted was extremely enlightening. I knew, for example, that Christians interpret Adam and Even as the origins of original sin, and that they claim Isaiah 53 was a foretelling of Jesus, but not why. I had no idea that there were interpretations of Jonah that linked the story to Jesus.
This would be a great read for both Jews and Christians seeking to understand our differences in Bible interpretation.
histogrammarian's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Growing up Christian, I was always told that the Old Testament predicted a Messiah would come along in the exact shape and form of Jesus. The implication, spoken and unspoken, is that the Jews were too stubborn to realise that the fulfilment of their prophecy had occurred, and to pity a people who were left waiting for an Anointed One who would never eventuate. I have since outgrown my Christianity, but many of these naive (at best) and malicious (at worst) assumptions still sit within me, and if they can't be purged they can at least be questioned.
This is the value of The Bible With and Without Jesus for me. Brettler and Levine explore parts of the Bible that are interpreted differently by Jews and Christians and explore where those varying interpretations emerge from. Crucially, they studiously avoid polemics in order to appreciate these interpretations on their own terms. If you're looking for an anti-Christian screed, or an anti-Jewish one, then you won't find it here. The authors are trying to build bridges rather than erect fences.
By the same token, this approach does necessitate a softly-softly writing style, which slowed down the pace a little. I would have preferred a text which spent less time justifying its own existence, but given the nature of the audience it probably just had to be that way. Regardless, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone, Christian, Jewish, atheist or otherwise, who wants to understand how reasonable interpretations of Biblical stories can be established without being the only correct interpretation. Similarly, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a better appreciation of the literary merit of these stories, their historical and cultural context, and the effect of translation in their contemporary understandings.
This is the value of The Bible With and Without Jesus for me. Brettler and Levine explore parts of the Bible that are interpreted differently by Jews and Christians and explore where those varying interpretations emerge from. Crucially, they studiously avoid polemics in order to appreciate these interpretations on their own terms. If you're looking for an anti-Christian screed, or an anti-Jewish one, then you won't find it here. The authors are trying to build bridges rather than erect fences.
By the same token, this approach does necessitate a softly-softly writing style, which slowed down the pace a little. I would have preferred a text which spent less time justifying its own existence, but given the nature of the audience it probably just had to be that way. Regardless, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone, Christian, Jewish, atheist or otherwise, who wants to understand how reasonable interpretations of Biblical stories can be established without being the only correct interpretation. Similarly, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a better appreciation of the literary merit of these stories, their historical and cultural context, and the effect of translation in their contemporary understandings.
drbobcornwall's review against another edition
5.0
Christians and Jews share a common sacred text. Jews call it the Tanakh. Christians call it the Old Testament. We read the same stories, but we tend to do so very differently. For Christians, the lens through which we traditionally read it is Jesus. But, what if we remove that lens and read it without reference to Jesus? Does that change one's interpretation?
The Bible With and Without Jesus offers a powerful answer to the question of how two religious communities read the same text. The authors are both Jewish, Amy-Jill Levine, and Marc Zvi Brettler. Levine is best known for her work on the Gospels. In other words, she is a leading Jesus scholar who happens to be Jewish. It is that lens that she brings to the study of the Gospels that has proven to be illuminating to so many of us. Her co-author teaches Jewish Studies, with a focus on the Hebrew Bible at Duke University. Together they provide us with a tour de force look at this sacred text.
In the preface they note that they approach the text from the perspective of "reception history. That is, "the interpretation of these texts by the communities that hold them sacred." They focus their attention on ten passages/themes from the Hebrew Scriptures that figure prominently within the New Testament. As they note, they ask three questions in each of the chapters exploring these passages/themes: First, "what did the text mean in its original context in ancient Israel?" Secondly, "how do the New Testament authors interpret that text?" Finally, "how do post-biblical Jews from the time of Jesus (e.g., the Dead Sea Scrolls, the first-century historian Josephus, and the first-century philosopher Philo) through the rabbinic and medieval Jewish tradition and later Christian traditions understand those same texts?" (p. xi).
Before they approach these passages and themes, they first address the question of the text itself and how it is interpreted. One of the key elements of this opening piece is a reminder that while we share similar texts, there are significant differences. First and foremost that has to do with the New Testament, which is central to the Christian faith, but not part of the Jewish tradition. While Jews and Christians share the books of the Old Testament/Tanakh, we don't read them the same. In fact, neither faith tradition reads the Hebrew Bible as self-standing, for Christians read through the lens of the New Testament while Jews use post-biblical commentaries to read and interpret these books. The book, as they note, speaks to how these two communities read the text differently. Their point here is not to say one reading is better than the other, but to recognize that this is a contested text. They hope that by the end of the book, we will be able to understand how and why the other community reads the text the way they do (pp. 3-4). As they note in the conclusion to their opening chapter, "at times, Jewish and Christian readings can complement each other; at times, one community adopts a reading that the other might find impossible." (p. 39). One thing I've discovered, largely through reading Levine's works, but not only hers, is that as a Christian interpreter, but I also have much to learn from Jewish interpreters.
The chapters that follow address questions of prophecy and how to read and understand them, noting that for Christians, the New Testament and later interpreters often read prophetic texts as pointing Jesus, while Jews would not read it in the same way. It's appropriate to read Jesus into the text, but not as the only or original reading. From there we move to texts concerning the creation of the world (ch. 3), Adam and Eve (ch. 4), priesthood (focus on Melchizedek) (ch. 5), "eye for an eye" and similar texts (ch. 6), "sacrifice and atonement (ch. 7), a "virgin will conceive" (ch. 8), Suffering Servant of Isaiah (ch. 9), "Sign of Jonah (ch. 10), Psalm 22 and Psalms as prophecy (ch. 11), and "Son of Man." As you can see, they cover a lot of important topics, topics that are central to the Christian faith. But what if you remove Jesus from these conversations. How might they be read?
The goal here is to help readers from both communities understand how and why we read the text the way we do. They encourage Jews to read the New Testament and try to see why Christians might read the text held sacred by Jews as we do. At the same time, they encourage Christians to read the same text through Jewish eyes by reading later Jewish interpretations of the same texts. Having read several books recently by Jewish interpreters, I have been enlightened. They have spoken a great truth that if followed could help build bridges of understandings between communities. I know that it is difficult for Jews to read the New Testament. So much damage has been done to the Jewish community in the name of Jesus, that this might appear to be a betrayal of one's faith. Nevertheless, we need to find ways of hearing each other. . They invite us to let go of the zero-sum way of looking at these texts. Instead, we have "an opportunity to correct certain older readings based in polemic, creating newer ones based on the possibility of mutual respect if not in complete agreement" (p. 422). I know of no better writers to do this than these two authors
These are scholars of note, but they write in a way that is accessible to a more general audience. It does require a certain level of sophistication, but it can be read beneficially by many in the church. For clergy, this is a must-read. it will deepen one's interpretive grid, and help overcome some of the pitfalls that we so easily fall into. As they note in conclusion, "we are stronger when we wrestle, and when we read together" (p. 426). I heartily agree!
The Bible With and Without Jesus offers a powerful answer to the question of how two religious communities read the same text. The authors are both Jewish, Amy-Jill Levine, and Marc Zvi Brettler. Levine is best known for her work on the Gospels. In other words, she is a leading Jesus scholar who happens to be Jewish. It is that lens that she brings to the study of the Gospels that has proven to be illuminating to so many of us. Her co-author teaches Jewish Studies, with a focus on the Hebrew Bible at Duke University. Together they provide us with a tour de force look at this sacred text.
In the preface they note that they approach the text from the perspective of "reception history. That is, "the interpretation of these texts by the communities that hold them sacred." They focus their attention on ten passages/themes from the Hebrew Scriptures that figure prominently within the New Testament. As they note, they ask three questions in each of the chapters exploring these passages/themes: First, "what did the text mean in its original context in ancient Israel?" Secondly, "how do the New Testament authors interpret that text?" Finally, "how do post-biblical Jews from the time of Jesus (e.g., the Dead Sea Scrolls, the first-century historian Josephus, and the first-century philosopher Philo) through the rabbinic and medieval Jewish tradition and later Christian traditions understand those same texts?" (p. xi).
Before they approach these passages and themes, they first address the question of the text itself and how it is interpreted. One of the key elements of this opening piece is a reminder that while we share similar texts, there are significant differences. First and foremost that has to do with the New Testament, which is central to the Christian faith, but not part of the Jewish tradition. While Jews and Christians share the books of the Old Testament/Tanakh, we don't read them the same. In fact, neither faith tradition reads the Hebrew Bible as self-standing, for Christians read through the lens of the New Testament while Jews use post-biblical commentaries to read and interpret these books. The book, as they note, speaks to how these two communities read the text differently. Their point here is not to say one reading is better than the other, but to recognize that this is a contested text. They hope that by the end of the book, we will be able to understand how and why the other community reads the text the way they do (pp. 3-4). As they note in the conclusion to their opening chapter, "at times, Jewish and Christian readings can complement each other; at times, one community adopts a reading that the other might find impossible." (p. 39). One thing I've discovered, largely through reading Levine's works, but not only hers, is that as a Christian interpreter, but I also have much to learn from Jewish interpreters.
The chapters that follow address questions of prophecy and how to read and understand them, noting that for Christians, the New Testament and later interpreters often read prophetic texts as pointing Jesus, while Jews would not read it in the same way. It's appropriate to read Jesus into the text, but not as the only or original reading. From there we move to texts concerning the creation of the world (ch. 3), Adam and Eve (ch. 4), priesthood (focus on Melchizedek) (ch. 5), "eye for an eye" and similar texts (ch. 6), "sacrifice and atonement (ch. 7), a "virgin will conceive" (ch. 8), Suffering Servant of Isaiah (ch. 9), "Sign of Jonah (ch. 10), Psalm 22 and Psalms as prophecy (ch. 11), and "Son of Man." As you can see, they cover a lot of important topics, topics that are central to the Christian faith. But what if you remove Jesus from these conversations. How might they be read?
The goal here is to help readers from both communities understand how and why we read the text the way we do. They encourage Jews to read the New Testament and try to see why Christians might read the text held sacred by Jews as we do. At the same time, they encourage Christians to read the same text through Jewish eyes by reading later Jewish interpretations of the same texts. Having read several books recently by Jewish interpreters, I have been enlightened. They have spoken a great truth that if followed could help build bridges of understandings between communities. I know that it is difficult for Jews to read the New Testament. So much damage has been done to the Jewish community in the name of Jesus, that this might appear to be a betrayal of one's faith. Nevertheless, we need to find ways of hearing each other. . They invite us to let go of the zero-sum way of looking at these texts. Instead, we have "an opportunity to correct certain older readings based in polemic, creating newer ones based on the possibility of mutual respect if not in complete agreement" (p. 422). I know of no better writers to do this than these two authors
These are scholars of note, but they write in a way that is accessible to a more general audience. It does require a certain level of sophistication, but it can be read beneficially by many in the church. For clergy, this is a must-read. it will deepen one's interpretive grid, and help overcome some of the pitfalls that we so easily fall into. As they note in conclusion, "we are stronger when we wrestle, and when we read together" (p. 426). I heartily agree!
alexactually's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I think I’d have got on better with this book if I hadn’t had it in audiobook format. It’s very interesting, but often felt quite dense and I think I would have valued the ability to go back over sections, in a way that’s tricky with an audiobook.
hallelyse's review against another edition
I would consider coming back to this book later in the year but it just wasn’t for me right now.
kahawa's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this, it was dense and scholarly. The authors explained how Jews and Christians have interpreted various texts throughout history. It was academic, not overly polemical. At times it strayed into "everyone should respect everyone else's beliefs" which is nice, but then they would list a few unacceptable beliefs and didact the reader into only accepting interpretations that are good and ethical etc. Good discussion for higher criticism, but I don't think inerrantists would appreciate the idea that NT writers sometimes got things 'wrong', or made things up, or misinterpreted texts. The authors were more concerned with what the biblical authors were trying to say or how communities interpreted what they said, rather than what the original historical objective Truth might be, thus this isn't an attempt at history, but how people interacted with texts.
Of special enjoyment were the sections on the Suffering Servant, the virgin conceiving, Psalm 22, the son of man, and Jonah. Basically the second half of the book.
Of special enjoyment were the sections on the Suffering Servant, the virgin conceiving, Psalm 22, the son of man, and Jonah. Basically the second half of the book.
alexdpar's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
This was a slog, but in a positive way.
You’ll be rereading almost every paragraph - not only because it’s dense with information, but also because the organization can be a bit chaotic.
The selection of the specific themes/topics/theologies of focus are incredibly interesting and fascinating. I will certainly be going back to read the early chapter on the order of Melchizedek.
The writing can be confusing, especially if you are not familiar with a specific passage or topic, hence the rereading. But overall, the communication is pretty effective.
You’ll be rereading almost every paragraph - not only because it’s dense with information, but also because the organization can be a bit chaotic.
The selection of the specific themes/topics/theologies of focus are incredibly interesting and fascinating. I will certainly be going back to read the early chapter on the order of Melchizedek.
The writing can be confusing, especially if you are not familiar with a specific passage or topic, hence the rereading. But overall, the communication is pretty effective.
oldmansimms's review against another edition
4.0
Quite interesting, but in-depth enough that it may be of more interest to more serious believers and (amateur) students of theology and biblical interpretation than the average layperson.
hagiasophia's review against another edition
3.0
A decent overview of the differences between Christian and Jewish readings of Tanakh. It selects a handful of verses to illustrate these differences. This books straddles the line between being written for laypeople while also using academic terminology. Though it is still accessible to casual readers, people unfamiliar with Hebrew or academic Bible studies may be a bit confused at points.