SPIRITUALITY & RELIGION

Exploring Our Hebraic Heritage: A Christian Theology of Roots and Renewal

Eerdmans. 2014. 332p. index. ISBN 9780802871459. pap. $22; ebk. ISBN 9781467442312. REL
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Wilson (biblical and theological studies, Gordon Coll.; Our Father Abraham) has labored for a long time on issues surrounding the Israelite and Jewish roots of Christian faith—his Our Father Abraham is a much-cited text, and he has been a prime consultant for the television series Jews & Christians: A Journey of Faith. Wilson's latest book is another careful treatment of vexed questions; where his previous title looked at the interrelations of Jews and Christians in the story of the church, this focuses on ancient Israelite belief and scripture, meditating on ideas such as idolatry, respect for God, and repentance. He embraces Judaism's rich heritage of scriptural study as the strongest defense against decay and corruption but unsurprisingly is flummoxed by the sticky question of supersessionism (the displacement of Judaism by Christianity) and leaves the adjudication to God.
VERDICT This book is carefully researched and gives every show of respect and affection for the tradition on which Wilson has spent his academic career; however, it is likely to leave Christian readers comfortable and Jewish readers disquieted.
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