Kesher 38: Winter/Spring 2021 – Review and Article
Kesher, A Journal of Messianic Judaism, published in its Issue 38 both a review of Learning Messiah by Jennifer M. Rosner and an article by me.
In the final paragraphs of the review Rosner writes:
Westerman’s work highlights the fact that the church’s task in rethinking its theological mainstays is formidable. As Soulen explains, “just as a flaw in the heart of a crystal distorts all of the light that passes through it, the logic of supersessionism has tended to distort the doctrinal patterns of Christian thought in ways that have hindered areas of Christian discipleship far beyond the church’s posture toward Israel.”17
What is needed is not merely a Christian rethinking of its doctrine of Israel, but rather a thoroughgoing reassessment of all of Christian theology in light of God’s enduring covenant with Israel. Westerman has shown himself to be an important voice pointing the way forward in this sweeping endeavor. Like Mark Kinzer, he offers not only significant elements of a thorough recasting of Christian theology in non-supersessionist terms, but also a much-needed assessment of the implications of such a recasting. Hopefully their work is merely the first fruits of a new theological era.
The article For Better and For Worse: The faithfulness of God through the Exile and Return of the Shekhinah is an enlarged version of an article published in Israel and the Church, a study magazine published by Christians for Israel International. For this shorter version see also an earlier blog posted at this website.
Both documents are reprinted from Kesher: A Journal of Messianic Judaism. Issue 38: Winter/Spring 2021. Used by permission. All rights reserved. https://www.kesherjournal.com/