Information Related to "Rediscovering Christianity: Scholars Have Second Thoughts"
Good News subscriptionAudio/Video
view Beyond Today

Rediscovering Christianity:
Scholars Have Second Thoughts

For centuries an ingrained bias has influenced scholars' and theologians' views of both the Old and New Testaments. Some are now realizing and correcting that error.

by David Hulme


The centuries-long theological bias toward the Hebrew Scriptures and the Jewish context of the New Testament may be in the process of being dismantled-by some who previously advocated such views.

A significant number of scholars across the ecclesiastical spectrum admit that their churches for the best part of their history have been incorrect in what they have taught about the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, and His early followers.

These scholars now say that the New Testament Church was in fact far more Jewish in theology and practice than has been traditionally claimed, and that Christianity for the most part, century after century, has fallen prey to an anti-Jewish sentiment. They are coming to admit that, because of such leanings, theologians have fabricated excuses to reject practices of the early Church that are considered to be Jewish (see "Teachings and Practices of the Early Church," p. 8).

Why have the churches been so fundamentally in error?

The subject of early Christianity's Jewishness had been avoided by most scholars because of a long-standing inclination in the theological world. At best an indifference had characterized views toward Old Testament theology. Now this change is causing a major rethinking of core teachings
of traditional Christianity as compared with the Christianity recorded in the Bible. If understood, the implications are profound.

Consider the following, by Robert J. Daly, professor of theology and a Jesuit priest: "Expressed bluntly from the Christian perspective, to be anti-Jewish is to be anti-Christian" (Removing Anti-Judaism From the Pulpit, edited by Howard Kee and Irvin Borowsky, Continuum Publishing, New York, 1996, p. 50, emphasis added throughout; subsequent quotations are from this work except as noted).

Read the full article at www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn13/rediscovering.htm


Related Information on UCG Sites:

Table of Contents that includes "Rediscovering Christianity: Scholars Have Second Thoughts"
Other Articles by David Hulme

Bible study helps:

Church, true: Antisemitism: Church, early: God's law, New Testament: Search Our Site
Key Subjects Index
General Topics Index
Biblical References Index
Good News Magazine Index
Booklets and All Literature Index
Home Page of this site