Comparing Spiritualities: Formative Christianity and Judaism on Finding Life and Meeting Death

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

There have been many studies of the doctrinal and liturgical differences and similarities between formative Judaism and early Christianity. Many of these studies examine the impact of Hellenistic culture on the development of Judaism and the consequences that such a Hellenized Judaism had for the development of Christianity. Very few books, however, have isolated particular spiritual practices as lenses through which to examine and compare these two religions. In their book, Chilton and Neusner ask simply, What are experiences both distinctive to the spiritual life of Torah and Christ, respectively, and also accessible to our common humanity Their response is to examine the experiences of birth in the faith, death by the faith, and bearing witness to the faith. Each writer explores the ways in which classical statements of Christ and Torah represent critical moments in a person's life of faith, and offer a comparison of the spiritual piety that each religion teaches and nurtures. Chilton and Neusner are the co-authors of The Body of Faith (Trinity) and God in the World (Trinity). Chilton is the author of Jesus Prayer and Jesus Eucharist (Trinity). Neusner is the author or editor of over 700 books including The Incarnation of God: The Character of Divinity in Formative Judaism. For: Clergy; seminarians; graduate students; those interested in formative Judaism and Christianity and in Jewish-Christian relations

Reviews

"It is one thing to claim that experience makes text and text makes experience. It is another to write and think as if such a claim were true. In these pages, Chilton and Neusner work together to show us the possiblities when one is not afraid to embrace such a claim. "Generative exegesis"--the method of this book-- involves a frank dialectic between detail and generality, the spiritual and the scholarly, and both sides of the dialectic are engaged rigorously and without fear. What is more, these two great minds create a space for Jewish and Christian exegetes to build a new language. Interpreters who come from these deathly rivalrous sibling traditions now have a new vocabulary with which to speak. Each uses the other's vocabulary, and yet maintains its own boundaries. The result is startlingly fresh and invigorating. We have not yet seen it before in the study of religion, and it is a model for the future." --Laurie L. Patton, Chair, Department of Religion, Emory University -- Laurie L. Patton * Blurb from reviewer *
"I would recommend the book as a provocative introduction to some of the central postures adopted by Judaism and Christianity in the face of basic human questions."--Ephraim Radner, Anglican Theological Review, Fall 2002 -- Ephraim Radner * Blurb from reviewer *
"...a beautiful book, rich in theological and homiletic insights." --Casimir Bernas, Holy Trinity Abbey, reviewing for Religious Studies Review, January 2001 -- Casimir Bernas, Holy Trinity Abbey * Religious Studies Review *

Author Bio

Bruce Chilton, New Testament and Judaic scholar, is Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. He is a co-author of The Body of Faith (Trinity), God in the World (Trinity), and Comparing Spiritualities (Trinity). Jacob Neusner is the author or editor of over 700 books including The Incarnation of God: The Character of Divinity in Formative Judaism.