Religion of Jesus the Jew

Vermes' "The Religion of Jesus the Jew" reminds us that Jesus was not a Christian but a perfectly good Jew. This from a Rabbinic scholar. I, a Biblical scholar and published writer myself, was hoping to learn more about the Jewish setting in which Jesus of Nazareth lived and taught. I was not dissapointed. Jesus' approach was similar to teachers in the 200-yr later Rabbinic tradition, but contained some unique features, such as the universality of religious principles and Halakhah (the way we apply our principles to daily life). He was addressing not just fellow Jewish males but the whole world, women, Greeks and Romans included. Also unique was that he was advocating a non-violent revolution against the oppressors of his time: "Turn the other cheek," "Love you enemies," etc. All timeless lessons for us modern Jews, Greeks, Hindus, Christians, Muslims, of whatever stripe. I also highly recommend Geza Vermes' more recent book, "The Authentic Gospel of Jesus" (R.C. Williams, PhD)

Jesus scholarship has no more accessible author than Geza Vermes, but it helps to understand the trajectory of his life. Born a Jew, he was converted to Catholicism as a child by his father, trying to save the family from the Holocaust. He served the Church for decades both as a priest and as one of the central translators of the Dead Sea Scrolls (he remains the only person to have published an independent translation of all the scrolls). His work on the scrolls led him to question many of the Church's assumptions about Jesus, and finally to reconvert to Judaism and marry, relatively late in life. Those who question Vermes' scholarship are usually not themselves scholars and usually show little understanding of the reasoning that leads him to his conclusions. Above all, he has looked for consistency in the teachings of Jesus, taking into account not only a deep knowledge of the age of Jesus in Judea, but also an intensive study of the internal evidence of the Gospels. The parable of the Good Samaritan, for example, is rejected as inauthentic because it belongs with other episodes in the Synoptic Gospels which contradict the core attitudes of Jesus towards Gentiles in general (whom he described as "swine" and "dogs," unworthy to hear the word of God) and of Samaritans in particular (he made special efforts to avoid traveling through Samaria and distrusted its people). It is characteristic of parables designed to bring non-Jews into the Christian fold decades after the death of Jesus. However, clearing away the additions and discovering who "Jesus the Jew" was is not always helpful to orthodox Christians, who can be bitterly offended by scholarship based on the assumptions that Jesus was not the Messiah, not the Christ, not the Son of God, was not resurrected and probably died because of political, not religious, considerations. Nor is the conclusion that Christianity is based less on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth than on the theology of St John and St Paul exactly news to thinking Catholics -- 23 of our Popes have been called John, 6 were called Paul and there have been 2 John Pauls. Readers who accept the divine nature of Jesus, and unquestioningly believe in the whole contents of the New Testament can still profit from Vermes's immense and disarming scholarship; but in my view, Vermes' great task has been to explain the nature of Jesus to fellow-Jews, and to assert that the great wrongs that have been done to Jews in his name were in no way forseen or willed by him. Vermes helps to acquit Jesus of the charges of having betrayed his faith, his people and his God, things he certainly never did. To me, Vermes is a great thinker and a great scholar, a modern Galileo. Remember what happened to Galileo.

Vermes as always is easily understandable and enjoyably readable for anyone with an interest in the bridge between Christianity and Judaism. He is exquisitely accurate in illuminating Jesus' Hasidic, Gallilian, Jewishness. He is even-handed, respectful of Christian ideals, but opens fresh vistas on the Messiah, Prophet and first Christian. Vernes' Jesus is masterfully portrayed in the warm light of his Hebrew nationality and religion and his innovative ideas about God. Vermes lovingly reveals his evidence concerning the religio-historical niche for the man most Christians believe to be God incarnate and who unbiased others believe to be a Prophet who greatly influenced Jews, Muslims, Christians and others for nearly 2000 years. He admits, as do many others that he does not know why Jesus was crucified, but I suspect that it had more to do with Jesus being seen by the Romans as a budding revolutionary rather than a prophet. His attack on the portico, temple businessmen solidified big-business, the church and the Roman state against him. He alone of his group was sent to the cross. That in itself was unusual, a normal Roman purge would have included all of his disciples. Vermes opens the door to Hebrew acceptance and inclusion of this inspired Jew, who was at the very least, a great prophet.If you want to know more about Jesus the Jew, his time and place in history as observed by one of his own people, read this thoroughly enjoyable book.

Vermes as always is easily understandable and enjoyably readable for anyone with an interest in the bridge between Christianity and Judaism. He is exquisitely accurate in illuminating Jesus' Jewishness. He is even-handed, respectful of Christian ideals, but opens fresh vistas on the Messiah, Prophet and first Christian. Vernes' Jesus is masterfully portrayed in the warm light of his Hebrew nationality and religion and his innovative ideas about God. Vermes lovingly reveals his evidence concerning the religio-historical niche for the man most Christians believe to be God incarnate and who unbiased others believe to be a Prophet who greatly influenced Jews, Muslims, Christians and others for nearly 2000 years. If you want to know more about Jesus the Jew, his time and place in history as observed by his people, then and now, read this thoroughly enjoyable book.

Albert Schweitzer did not initiate the academic quest for the historical Jesus, nor did he end it. Schweitzer was, however, its most famous proponent. Second only to Schweitzer, Geza Vermes has, justifiably, become the penultimate voice of scholarship in this endeavor. Schweitzer demonstrated the importance of the apocalyptic to the historical Jesus. In his 1973 tour de force, "Jesus The Jew," Vermes emphasized Jesus' existence as a Galilean, Hasidic Jew. In this work, he firmly places Jesus within first century, Palestinian Jewish religious tradition. The result of Schweitzer's and Vermes' combined works is a less romanticized, less theologized, and more believable earthly Jesus. Although this book will disturb those who are comfortable with unquestioned piety, it is an invaluable tool for serious Bible students. It digs below the theology of the early Church to get a better view of the historical Jesus of Nazareth.Vermes describes Jesus as an observant, first century Jew, whose behavior was very much like that of other observant, first century Jews. He shows us how Jesus' teachings relied upon bibical and charismatic authority. He shows how speaking in proverbs and parables was not a way for Jesus to obscure his message from all but the elect, but was rather a way to illustrate his teachings. He describes Jesus' preaching as closely related to the work of his rabbinical contemporaries. Perhaps most striking of all, he proves that Jesus' address of God as "Abba" was not unique.Vermes shows that the religion of Jesus, the exorcist, the preacher, and the friend of pariahs was authentically Jewish. It was the early (largely gentile) Church, as it theologically reflected upon his life and death, which transformed that faith from Judaism to Christianity. In the end, the reader is left indebted to Vermes for his scholarship, yet still responsible to make one's own decision regarding the Lordship of Jesus, the Christ.