Title: Reading the Way, Paul, and "The Jews" in Acts Within Judaism
Description: Jason F. Moraff challenges the contention that Acts  sharp rhetoric and portrayal of  the Jews  reflects anti-Judaism and supersessionism. He argues that, rather than constructing Christian identity in contrast to Judaism, Acts binds the Way, Paul, and  the Jews  together into a shared identity as Israel, and that together they embark on a journey of repentance with common Jewishness providing the foundation. Acts leverages Jewish kinship, language, cult, and custom to portray the Way, Paul, and  the Jews  as one family debating the direction of their ancestral tradition.   Using a historically situated narrative approach, Moraff frames Acts  portrayal of the Way and Paul in relation to the Jewish people as participating in internecine conflict regarding the Jewish tradition-in-crisis, after the destruction of the temple. By exploring ancient ethnicity, Jewish identity and Lukan characterization, images of the Jews, the Way, and Paul, violence in Acts and the theme of blindness in Luke s gospel, the Pauline writings and Acts, Moraff stresses that Acts speaks from  among my own nation,  meaning  the Jews , and makes it possible to understand Acts  critical characterization of  the Jews  within Second Temple Judaism.
Subjects: Bible, criticism, interpretation, etc., Judaism, Relations, Christianity and other religions, Biblical teaching, Jews in the New Testament, Biblical studies & exegesis