- Last Name
- LEVERING
- First Name
- Matthew
- Title
- Jewish-Christian Dialogue and the Life of Wisdom: Engagements with the Theology of David Novak
- Publisher
- Continuum
- Year
- 2010
- Group
- JCR6 JCR1 JCR8
- Comments
- Amazon Review/s
Contents: Supersessionism and Messianic Judaism -- Providence and theonomy -- The image of God -- Natural law and Noahide Law -- Election and the life of wisdom
Summary: This book inquires as to whether theological dialogue between Christians and Jews is possible, not only in itself but also as regards the emergence of communities of Messianic Judaism. Levering first frames the question: Could Messianic Judaism be the path by which God wills to overcome supersessionism? Though his answer is no, he argues that theologically, Christian supersessionism need not require condemnation of Judaism, no more than Judaism requires condemnation of Christianity. Exploring the interrelated doctrines of divine providence/theonomy, the image of God, and natural law, Levering places Novak's broadly Maimonidean perspective in conversation with Thomas Aquinas. He concludes by asking whether Christians and Jews would do better to bracket our covenantal commitments, in pursuing wisdom. By this wisdom, he means weeding from Jewish-Christian dialogue the harsh supersessionism held by both Christian superssessionists and Jewish counter-supersessionists who refuse to forfeit their central covenantal place and leave any covenantal room for the other. For supersessionism, by rejecting the Gospel, Jews lose any relationship with God; for counter supersessionism, by rejecting the primacy of Torah, Christians lose any relationship with God. When Jews and Christians, obedient to revelation, understand themselves as people called uniquely by God, this 'particularity' does not destroy the ability of humans to work together cooperatively. So, with Novak, Levering proposes a shared witness to transcendent hope In Jewish-Christian dialogue's significance for engaging adherents of a purely secular worldview.
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