Ep 230: Why We Misunderstand Judaism with James McGrath

In this episode I welcome back Dr. James McGrath. We talk about his contribution to the book Judeophobia and the New Testament, where he discusses contemporary negative attitudes towards Jews and Judaism. We discuss the problem of Judeophobia, how Jews are often marginalized in Christian theology, and how the Jewish Jesus movement lead to rampant anti-Judaism during the Middle Ages. McGrath explains the supposed division between the Old and New Testaments, how scholarship has clarified the relationship between Christianity and Judaism, how to better understand the New Testament in its Jewish context, and, very importantly, how debates about the modern state of Israel have contributed to Judeophobia. We also talk about the social problems which inevitably result from unclear thinking about Judaism and how we can avoid them. 

Additional Resources

Judeophobia and the New Testament: https://a.co/d/idwmt3Y

James McGrath Blog: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/religionprof/

James on Twitter: @ReligionProf

James McGrath Eerdmans Page: https://www.eerdmans.com/author/james-f-mcgrath/

McGrath on John the Baptist: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-134-john-the-baptist-with-james-mcgrath/

McGrath on the New Testament: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-104-what-biblical-scholars-want-everyone-to-know-about-the-new-testament-with-james-mcgrath/