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A review by thistleheather
Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life by Lois Tverberg
4.0
This book grew on me as I read it. I think part of that was due to my expectations - it's not meant to be a deep, academic work that addresses all the basic questions of Jesus and the Jewish dimension of His teachings, but an introduction. And it is a very good introductory book.
I haven't read Tverberg's previous book "Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus," co-written with Ann Spangler, but this book definitely doesn't require having read the previous volume.
It strikes a good balance between being an easy read and exploring some challenging issues in a new way.
While I wasn't always "right there" with Tverberg - for example, she says that most depictions of the binding of Isaac portray him as a small child or toddler, which I've never seen before; in the famous Carvaggio painting (and in our Sunday school book - we use Rod & Staff), he's a young man - I found her insights helpful and edifying.
I appreciated the Jewish quotes peppered throughout and the knowledge of Hebrew that she draws on - I even found that I appreciated the introductory anecdotes, something I didn't think I'd like. The discussion questions in the first chapter or two seemed a little repetitive and extraneous (rehashing ideas that she had specifically addressed), but after that seemed to improve. I like that Tverberg directs the reader to do a lot of Scripture reading - it can be tempting to simply quote a few smatterings here and there that bolster one's case, but I like that Tverberg kept the focus on God and His word, and brings the reader back to that.
It also speaks well of her that while she purposefully puts an emphasis on familiar aspects of Christianity (even going so far as to use "Jesus" instead of "Yeshua" and "Old Testament" instead of "Hebrew Bible" for the sake of familiarity - she discusses both of these choices in the book or notes) and Scriptures most Christians will know (the Flood, Job, the Prodigal Son, etc), she also draws on more obscure passages, like prophecies from Hosea and Malachi.
This book is an excellent introduction to the Jewish background of Jesus' teachings - I would recommend it to people with no knowledge of Judaism, but there is also much here for the more knowledgeable, and would be a profitable read for them as well. This book left me hungry for more - I think some of Abraham Joshua Heschel's books are next on my list - and provided me with more spiritual food than I would have thought.
I haven't read Tverberg's previous book "Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus," co-written with Ann Spangler, but this book definitely doesn't require having read the previous volume.
It strikes a good balance between being an easy read and exploring some challenging issues in a new way.
While I wasn't always "right there" with Tverberg - for example, she says that most depictions of the binding of Isaac portray him as a small child or toddler, which I've never seen before; in the famous Carvaggio painting (and in our Sunday school book - we use Rod & Staff), he's a young man - I found her insights helpful and edifying.
I appreciated the Jewish quotes peppered throughout and the knowledge of Hebrew that she draws on - I even found that I appreciated the introductory anecdotes, something I didn't think I'd like. The discussion questions in the first chapter or two seemed a little repetitive and extraneous (rehashing ideas that she had specifically addressed), but after that seemed to improve. I like that Tverberg directs the reader to do a lot of Scripture reading - it can be tempting to simply quote a few smatterings here and there that bolster one's case, but I like that Tverberg kept the focus on God and His word, and brings the reader back to that.
It also speaks well of her that while she purposefully puts an emphasis on familiar aspects of Christianity (even going so far as to use "Jesus" instead of "Yeshua" and "Old Testament" instead of "Hebrew Bible" for the sake of familiarity - she discusses both of these choices in the book or notes) and Scriptures most Christians will know (the Flood, Job, the Prodigal Son, etc), she also draws on more obscure passages, like prophecies from Hosea and Malachi.
This book is an excellent introduction to the Jewish background of Jesus' teachings - I would recommend it to people with no knowledge of Judaism, but there is also much here for the more knowledgeable, and would be a profitable read for them as well. This book left me hungry for more - I think some of Abraham Joshua Heschel's books are next on my list - and provided me with more spiritual food than I would have thought.