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Whose Bible Is It?
A History of the Scriptures
Through the Ages
by Jaroslav Pelikan
Pelikan, Sterling professor emeritus of history at Yale University
and author of a number of respected books in the area of Christian
belief and tradition (e.g., Jesus Through the Centuries),
presents an outstanding introduction to the development, use and
acceptance of the biblical canon over the centuries. As the title
suggests, different groups have claimed ownership to the
canonization process. Even today, Bibles vary in their content and
in their philosophy of translation. Beginning with the long heritage
of the oral tradition, then exploring the writing and editing of the
biblical texts, Pelikan takes the reader through the process of
scripture building with a fluency and ease that is both accessible
and understandable to the nonscholar. His treatment of modern
critical methods is particularly well done. Pelikan has a sure sense
of history and context, surrounding the story with a wealth of
detail, including some well-chosen anecdotes that add to the
reader's enjoyment. He appreciates the ways in which tradition and
commentary have influenced both the text itself and our
understanding of the text, all the while expressing a love for the
Bible and a perceptive grasp of the processes that brought it to its
current state |
Why the Jews Rejected Jesus :
The Turning Point
in Western History
by DAVID KLINGHOFFER
Klinghoffer (a conservative writer and practicing Jew) frames his
thesis by explaining what the Jews of Jesus' time would have
expected from the Messiah whom they were awaiting. He bluntly notes
that Jesus did not fulfill these expectations (the defeat of
Israel's enemies and the establishment of universal peace), and he
carefully debunks the biblical texts, such as Isaiah, that
Christians claim prove otherwise. Using Talmudic sources that are
little known or barely acknowledged, he paints a more complete
picture of what the Jewish community has thought about Jesus through
the ages. Writing clearly and cogently, Klinghoffer offers detailed
analyses of the prisms through which Jews and Christians view each
other. Moreover, the book concludes that Jewish rejection was the
best thing that could have happened to nascent Christianity. Even
incorporating the teachings of Jesus, Judaism with its many
commandments (including circumcision) never would have been accepted
by the European masses, and the course of Western civilization would
have been forever different. Provocative reading for those on both
sides of the Jewish-Christian divide.
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