The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus
by Amy-Jill Levine, HarperOne
It seems to be open season for Jewish books on Jesus. Levine's contribution is certainly not least among these works - it's masterful.
Really good scholars, in any field, tend to lose their ability to relate to lay readers in everyday language. Levine suffers no such impediment. This book is easy to read, easy to understand - but hard to ignore.
She explores the origins of Christianity from within Judaism with wit, humour, vigour and vitality without at any point sacrificing excellent scholarship or fidelity to both Levine's Jewish faith and the texts of the New Testament.
Levine calls Christians and Jews alike to move beyond shallow and distorted stereotypes of each other's faiths.
She offers a new insight into Jesus as a Jew, speaking to Jews, and offers us a different set of eyes and ears with which to reflect on passages that have often lost the original barb of Jesus' day through years of familiarity.
Her reflection on the parable of the Good Samaritan, among others, is stunning.
Levine does not seek to remove or paper over the difficult texts, the different understandings, or the uniqueness of Jesus to the Christian faith.
Instead she offers an open and honest critique from both the Jewish and Christian perspective and in doing so makes a great step forward for interfaith relations.
Review by Matthew Wilson
Previously published in Insights, Magazine of the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of NSW and the ACT