The Reluctant Parting

August 29, 2005
Christianity did not exist as a self-defined religious movement until well into the second century, when it began to distinguish itself from its Judaic roots. How and why did such an evolution occur? In a study that is by turns fascinating and unoriginal, Galambush, a religion professor at William and Mary, performs a close reading of the texts of the New Testament. From Matthew to Revelation, she shows how their authors—Jews themselves—addressed the conflict between their audience's Judaism and this new movement within Judaism. Thus, for example, Matthew, which was written to Jewish Christians, is the most anti-Jewish of the Synoptic Gospels. At the center of the conflicts in the New Testament is the question about whether and how to allow Gentiles to hear the message of this movement. One of Paul's letters, 1 Thessalonians, has long been interpreted to support the Jews' responsibility for the death of Jesus. Galambush observes, however, that Paul is angry at his fellow Jews for hindering him from speaking to the Gentiles. Galambush demonstrates that the development of the religion that became Christianity was a slow and torturous journey, but her tedious summaries of each of the New Testament writings and her often uninventive readings diminish the promise of this otherwise important book.

October 15, 2005
Responding to a synagogue's adult education program, Galambush (religion, Coll. of William and Mary; "Jerusalem in the Book of Ezekiel") here attempts to explain the New Testament, chronicle Christianity's development into a religious tradition different from Judaism, and show how an understanding of the New Testament's Jewish context promotes cultural literacy and provides for a greater understanding of the work overall. In each chapter, she summarizes the cultural, historical, and religious issues existing in the books of the New Testament. The table of contents mentions neither notes nor a bibliography, both of which would have been useful for a book of this sort, but as an overview providing an introduction to the New Testament, "The Reluctant Parting" is recommended for public libraries where there is interest in the subject. Similar books include Tikva Frymer-Kensky and others' "Christianity in Jewish Terms" and David Fox Sandmel's "Irreconcilable Differences: A Learning Resource for Jews and Christians." " -Naomi Hafter, Baltimore"

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