Rediscovering the Jewish Jesus: Reorienting the Church and Reimagining a Relationship

Abstract

How is it that the Jewishness of Jesus became so obscure that few Christians recognized its reality and significance? How might the church recover this fundamental component of his life and ministry? Two arguments serve as anchors. 1) Early church writers were unable to imagine or depict a Jewish Christ because they regarded Judaism as the old and obsolete Other and their perspective became embedded in church life. 2) Providing a more adequate account of Christian origins entails comprehending a web of interconnected understandings that have the potential to counter the inadequate and unjust account many Christians have internalized.