Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

Marvin R. Wilson

Jan 1989 · Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

About this ebook

Although the roots of Christianity run deep into Hebrew soil, many Christians are regrettably uninformed about the rich Hebrew heritage of the church. This volume delineates the link between Judaism and Christianity, between the Old and the New Testament, and calls Christians to reexamine their Hebrew roots so as to effect a more authentically biblical lifestyle.

As an introduction to the world of Hebrew thought, Our Father Abraham is biblical, historical, and cultural in nature. At the same time, the writing is personal and passionate, reflecting Marvin Wilson's own spiritual pilgrimage and his extensive dialogue with Jews. The book (1) develops a historical perspective on the Jewish origins of the church, (2) sets forth the importance and nature of Hebrew thought, (3) discusses how the church can become more attuned to the Hebraic mind-set of Scripture, and (4) offers practical suggestions for interaction between Jews and Christians.

The study questions at the end of each chapter enhance the book's usefulness as a text and also make it suitable for Bible-study and discussion groups. All Christians--and Jews too--will profit from Wilson's sensible treatments of biblical texts, his thorough understanding of both the Christian and the Jewish faith, and his honest historical analysis of the general failure of the Christian church to acknowledge and understand its relation to Judaism.

Ratings and reviews

This book should be required reading in every religion course for every student who plans to go into the ministry. Christianity is at loose ends, not understanding the connection between the "Old" Testament and the "New." Without this understanding, the Apostolic Writings may appear, to the uninitiated, to start a new religion, which was not their intent. Yeshua (Jesus' given name) came to fulfill the prophecies, not to destroy them. Dr. Wilson ties the two testaments together, explaining just how Hebrew and Jewish the gospels and epistles are.

About the author

Marvin R. Wilson, a leading scholar on Christian-Jewish relations, is Harold J. Ockenga Professor Emeritus of Biblical and Theological Studies at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts, where he taught for over fifty years. He also wrote Exploring Our Hebraic Heritage-a sequel to Our Father Abraham-and served as primary scholar of the award-winning national television documentary Jews & Christians: A Journey of Faith, based on Our Father Abraham.