The New Testament and Jewish Law: A Guide for the Perplexed

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This title provides a general introduction to Jewish law (Torah) for students of New Testament studies. This book will provide a general introduction to Jewish law (Torah) for students of New Testament studies. It will include a general discussion on the role of Jewish law in understanding Christian origins with particular reference to correcting the harsh and negative evaluations in a previous generation of scholarship and to showing how an understanding of Jewish law is extremely important in understanding the emergence of Christianity. There will also be a general chapter of the origins and sources of early Jewish law, including the biblical texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the pseudepigrapha, Josephus, Philo, and early rabbinic material. This will also provide a general introduction to the different ways Jewish law was interpreted. The rest of the book will be taken up by short chapters which will provide specific examples of Jewish law based on issues raised in the New Testament. These will include areas such as circumcision, Sabbath, food and purity, divorce, eye for an eye, family loyalties, ethnicity, and oaths. Throughout, the focus will not be on the 'correct' interpretation or historical accuracy of given gospel passages but rather the areas of Jewish law which illuminate the given New Testament passage. The idea is to provide readers with specific legal contexts for their own interpretations of New Testament passages. Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

Reviews

Clear, well documented, and fair, Crossley's study not only demonstrates what the Jewish sources say about such matters as Sabbath observance, purity, and relations with Gentiles, it also corrects often-repeated stereotypes that still infect Christian teaching and preaching. -- Amy-Jill Levine, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies, , Graduate Dept. of Religion, Program in Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University, USA.
Jewish law is an extremely complex topic and most New Testament scholars settle for a few choice quotes to illustrate the point being made. In this book, James Crossly begins with Jewish law and shows how an understanding of its complexity can greatly illuminate passages from the Gospels and Paul. It is indeed a guide for the perplexed and will go straight on to my reading list. -- Professor Steve Moyise,University of Chichester, UK.
T&T Clark's Guides for the Perplexed help to clarify issues concerning thinkers, writers and subjects that students find troublesome. Crossley becomes a handy guide for the intricacies of Jewish law as used within the writings of New Testament. It is a most usefull book. If exegesis of the new Testament is to have any credibility it must deal fairly with the question of Jews and Judaism. Up until recently there has been much misunderstanding of Jews and Judaism in the first century of our era. Hopefully this book will help to remove some of that. - Ed Parker, The University of Newcastle, NWS, Australia -- Ed Parker
Crossley Becomes a handy guide for the intricacies of Jewish law as used within the writings of the New Testament. It is a most useful book. * Theological Book Review *
... a welcome introduction to a complex area for students of the NT. * Journal for the Study of The New Testament, Volume 33 Number 5 *
All in all, Crossley succeeds in presenting a complex topic in clear and succinct terms. The book is well written and well organized. It requires no knowledge of ancient languages. Neither does one need to painstakingly lookup sources, since most sources are quoted in the texts. The balance between the breadth and depth of the topic makes the book an excellent resource as textbook for students who are introduced to the NT in light of the Jewish Law(s). * Reviews in Religion & Theology *

Author Bio

James G. Crossley is Professor of Bible at St. Mary's University Twickenham, UK. His most recent publications include Harnessing Chaos, published in paperback by Bloomsbury T&T Clark in 2016.