Rebecca's Children: Judaism and Christianity in the Roman World
Segal's exploration of the early histor ies of Christianity and rabbinic Judaism shows that although the two traditions chose different ways to express their birthright, like Jacob and Esau they struggled together in the same womb. Both Christianity and Judaism reinter preted the apocalyptic expectations of the Kingdom of God into a personal faith commitment within the communi ty. Christian success rested on convert ing people from the diverse back grounds of the Greco-Roman world and forming them into a unified group. The Jewish community assured its survival by emphasizing purity laws that marked the boundary between it and the gentile world. Segal's most irenic book concludes that Jews and Chris tians need not dispute over the birth right, for "it can belong to both of them together." For specialists and general readers. Murray L. Wagner, Bethany Theological Seminary, Oak Brook, Ill.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.