Promotional Information

"A tour de force and very, very moving." Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain

About the Author

Jacob Neusner is Distinguished Service Professor of the History and Theology of Judaism and Senior Fellow, Institute of Advanced Theology, Bard College.

Reviews

"After the Gospel writers and the apostle Paul, the author most quoted in Pope Benedict XVI's new book is Rabbi Jacob Neusner, a U.S. professor of religion and theology. In his book, Jesus of Nazareth, released April 16 in Italian, German and Polish, Pope Benedict joined the literary dialogue that Rabbi Neusner invented for himself in his 1993 book, A Rabbi Talks With Jesus." Catnolic News Service "A tour de force and very, very moving." Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain Praise for the previous edition: "By far the most important book for the Jewish-Christian dialogue in the last decade. The absolute honesty, the precision of analysis, the union of respect for the other party with carefully grounded loyalty to one's own position characterize the book and make it a challenge especially to Christians, who will have to ponder the analysis of the contrast between Moses and Jesus." Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) "Neusner here makes a contribution to Jewish-Christian understanding that is as lively as it is unusual ... To listen in as he talks with Matthew's Jesus is to get a surer sense of the real issues on this important front of interreligious dialogue." Schubert M. Ogden, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University

"After the Gospel writers and the apostle Paul, the author most quoted in Pope Benedict XVI's new book is Rabbi Jacob Neusner, a U.S. professor of religion and theology. In his book, Jesus of Nazareth, released April 16 in Italian, German and Polish, Pope Benedict joined the literary dialogue that Rabbi Neusner invented for himself in his 1993 book, A Rabbi Talks With Jesus." Catnolic News Service "A tour de force and very, very moving." Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain Praise for the previous edition: "By far the most important book for the Jewish-Christian dialogue in the last decade. The absolute honesty, the precision of analysis, the union of respect for the other party with carefully grounded loyalty to one's own position characterize the book and make it a challenge especially to Christians, who will have to ponder the analysis of the contrast between Moses and Jesus." Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) "Neusner here makes a contribution to Jewish-Christian understanding that is as lively as it is unusual ... To listen in as he talks with Matthew's Jesus is to get a surer sense of the real issues on this important front of interreligious dialogue." Schubert M. Ogden, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University

Here Neusner, a distinguished theologian and author of more than 400 books on Judaism, conducts an imaginary dialog with Jesus (as portrayed in the Gospel according to Matthew): ``In this book I explain in a very straightforward and unapologetic way why, if I had been in the Land of Israel in the first century, I would not have joined the circle of Jesus' disciples.'' Although the dialog is somewhat one-sided at times, understandably enough, a number of doctrinally valid and insightful points arise, and Neusner effectively sheds light on the question, ``Why, while Christians believe in Jesus Christ and the good news of his rule in the Kingdom of Heaven, Jews believe in the Torah of Moses and form on earth and in their own flesh God's kingdom of priests and holy people?'' A lively and intriguing work that should interest, enlighten, and challenge thoughtful readers of both faiths. Highly recommended.-- Marcia Welsh, Guilford Free Lib., Ct.