What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Jewishness of Jesus: A New Way of Seeing the Most Influential Rabbi in History

Rabbi Moffic, spiritual leader of Congregation Solel in suburban Chicago, opens up for Christians the world of the historical Jesus as he is depicted in the synoptic Gospels. Though "addressed" to Christians, Moffic intends that Jews, too, will benefit from fresh insight into the Jewishness of Jesus, whose teachings reflect the issues that were alive in pre-rabbinic Judaism. To show full respect to Christianity's view of Jesus, the book does not give space to refuting the Gospels' theological claims, nor does it skirt them, an approach that may take some Jewish readers aback; readers are left to rest assured that the author is firm in his own Jewish beliefs and in his commitment to Jewish practices. That being said, Moffic does explore the possibility that Jews might, in different ways, see the historical Jesus as part of the Jewish story as well (short of believing him the son of God). As the book makes clear, much of what Jesus taught is already part of an authentically Jewish conversation. Accessible and powerful, this book is a valuable contribution to interreligious understanding. (Feb.)