Resources
For Further Study
1. Helpful references as you study Talking Points
About Judaism: A Guide to Beliefs and Practices. 16-page booklet with text and illustrations. Single copy $1.10; discount for bulk orders. Channing L. Bete Co. (800-628-7733).
Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs, and Rituals. By George Robinson. Pocket Books, 644 pages, $18.00. A comprehensive survey of Jewish life in history and today.
2. Learning more about Judaism
Settings of Silver: An Introduction to Judaism. By Rabbi Stephen M. Wylen. Paulist Press, 408 pages, $19.95. Thorough exposition of Jewish history, beliefs, practices, and contemporary life.
Judaism: An Introduction for Christians. James Limburg, translator and editor. Augsburg Fortress, 285 pages. A classic. Out of print, but may be available in church libraries or from used book sellers.
The Jewish Book of Why and The Second Jewish Book of Why. By Alfred J. Kolatch. Boxed set. Jonathan David Publishers, 768 pages, $44.95. An A-to-Z guide to all things Jewish.
The Earth Is the Lord's: The Inner World of the Jew in Eastern Europe. By Abraham Joshua Heschel. Jewish Lights Publishing, 112 pages, $14.95. An eloquent exploration of Jewish spirituality.
3. Christian-Jewish relations
Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations. Edited by Michael Shermis and Arthur E. Zannoni. Paulist Press, 275 pages, $11.95. A collection of articles on key issues in the dialogue.
Jews and Christians: A Troubled Family. By Walter Harrelson and Randall M. Falk. Abingdon, 208 pages, $16.00. Essays by a Christian and a Jewish scholar on basic issues in the relationship.
Irreconcilable Differences? A Learning Resource for Jews and Christians. Edited by David F. Sandmel and others. Westview Press, 228 pages, $23.00. Deals with questions such as "How Do Jews and Christians Read the Bible?" – "How Do Jews and Christians Understand Salvation and Repentance?"
4. Guides to local interfaith dialogue
Interfaith Circles. Offers guidance on setting up a "living room dialogue" group. Includes readings and discussion guides. Six packets, each with materials for four programs. Available from the ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations (800-638-3522, ext. 2610).
Sharing Shalom: A Process for Local Interfaith Dialogue between Christians and Jews. Edited by Philip A. Cunningham and Arthur F. Starr. Paulist Press, 128 pages, $7.95. Basic readings, procedural suggestions, and discussion questions for six sessions.
5. Rethinking Christianity in relation to Judaism
Has God Only One Blessing? Judaism as a Source of Christian Self-Understanding. By Mary C. Boys. Paulist Press, 393 pages, $29.95. A study of needed changes in traditional views of Jews and Judaism, and the implications for a renewed Christian faith.
A Dictionary of the Jewish-Christian Dialogue. Edited by Leon Klenicki and Geoffrey Wigoder. Paulist Press, 240 pages, $9.95. Brief articles on key theological concepts. Part of the Stimulus Books series, "Studies in Judaism and Christianity."
Constantine's Sword. The Church and the Jews: A History. By James Carroll. Houghton Mifflin, 756 pages, $28.00. A thorough history of this troubled relationship, by a lay Roman Catholic writer.
A Guest in the House of Israel: Post-Holocaust Church Theology. By Clark M. Williamson. Westminster/John Knox Press, 344 pages, $24.95. A closely-reasoned theological treatise.
6. Special topics
Voices from Jerusalem: Jews and Christians Reflect on the Holy Land. Edited by David Burrell and Yehezkel Landau. Paulist Press, 176 pages, $9.95. Historical & contemporary perspectives.
The Holocaust and the Christian World: Reflections on the Past, Challenges for the Future. Edited by Carol Rittner, Stephen D. Smith, and Irena Steinfeldt. Continuum, 278 pages, $24.95. Documents, illustrations, historical and theological reflections.
Luther and the Jews: A Fateful Legacy. By Franklin Sherman. A five-session study guide on the historical and theological context of Luther's writings on the Jews and the need to reevaluate them in light of the current Christian-Jewish dialogue. Available from the ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations (800-638-3522, ext. 2610).
Removing Anti-Judaism from the Pulpit. Edited by Howard Clark Kee and Irwin J. Borowsky. Chiron Publications, 140 pages, $19.95. A challenge to bring Christian preaching abreast of advances in interfaith relations.
Lutherans and the Challenge of Religious Pluralism. Edited by Frank W. Klos, C. Lynn Nakamura, and Daniel F. Martensen. Augsburg Fortress, 197 pages. Essays by five Lutheran scholars, including a review of the basic teachings of the major religions.
How to Be a Perfect Stranger: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People's Religious Ceremonies. Edited by Arthur J. Magida. Jewish Lights Publishing, 2 volumes, $24.95 each. How to act, dress, and understand what is happening in the ceremonies of many faiths and denominations. See Vol. I for Judaism.
7. Videos
We Christians and Jews: How Do We Relate? Videos presenting lectures by Lutheran theologians on Our Common Scriptures – Our Troubled History – Our Challenging Present – Our Hopeful Future. A "Select" program of the Division for Ministry, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Set of four (two hours each), $40.00.
Jews and Christians: A Journey of Faith. A two-hour video introducing many key issues and personalities in the Christian-Jewish dialogue today, as seen on national television. Available from Auteur Productions, Potomac, MD (301-299-6554).
8. Internet resources
http://www.jcrelations.net - A comprehensive international resource on Jewish-Christian relations. Articles, reports, reviews, and links to numerous related web sites, institutes, and organizations.
Interreligious Relations - News and documentation on interfaith relations from the Web site of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. To order printed materials on Lutheran-Jewish relations, see www.elca.org/ecumenical/Resources/lujwrsce.html
www.maven.co.il - An inventory of Jewish resources on the Web, with links to many sites dealing with Jewish life and thought.
This resource guide was prepared as an accompaniment to "Talking Points: Topics in Christian-Jewish Relations," a study and discussion resource issued in 2002 by the Department for Ecumenical Affairs, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. To order the full packet, phone the ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations at 800-638-3522, ext. 2610, or order by e-mail at erinfo@elca.org