I was thrilled to have received a review copy of Lois Tverberg’s Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life
If you’re a fan of Ray Vander Laan’s materials, then you’ll love Walking in the Dust of the Rabbi Jesus. It’s an easy, enjoyable tour through ancient Judaism and the text of the Scripture. Tverberg over and over produces fresh insights into familiar texts by either digging into the rabbinic material or else showing how the Old Testament sheds light on the New.
It would be a great study for a small group. It doesn’t require a great teacher or scholar to present the material, because it’s so well presented by the author, but she leaves enough unsaid to open up avenues of discussion and exploration for the students. (Like the rabbis used to do.)
One reviewer at Amazon noted how he wishes he’d known this material as a child, because it so enriches the materials he learned in high school. I agree. These materials would be great resources for teachers at the middle school or high school level, because they’d greatly help our young people understand why Jesus said what he said. It brings the Gospels alive.
Buy the book. Buy both books.
Wow…going to have to put this one on the reading list.
Jay,
Other than the Bible or Bible commentaries, what are your top 10 book recommendations for members of Churches of Christ?
Thanks,
Kevin
Kevin,
It’s a hard question, esp since members of the Church can be at such very different places theologically. I’d give very different recommendations for those who are trapped in legalism vs. those who have left legalism, for example.
Jay,
You would almost certainly consider me to be trapped in legalism. I do, however, like to challenge my thinking and read other viewpoints. Your recommendations would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Kevin
Kevin and Jay,
May I be so bold as to recommend one? The one place I see the COC off on the wrong foot is the Holy Spirit so I highly recommend a book from a person close by in Birmingham.
Loving GOD Up Close by Calvin Miller
Kevin,
The books to recommend depend on where you are in your spiritual walk. Posted on this blog are a number of books I’ve written for those in the more conservative Churches of Christ who are open to re-considering their views. I’d particularly recommend The Holy Spirit and Revolutionary Grace (/books-by-jay-guin/the-holy-spirit-and-revolutionary-grace/) and Do We Teach Another Gospel? (/books-by-jay-guin/do-we-teach-another-gospel/) — in that order.
I highly recommend Leroy Garrett’s The Stone-Campbell Movement — an excellent history of the Restoration Movement — and Leonard Allen & Richard Hughes’ Discovering Our Roots — a shorter, easier read that I really enjoyed and benefited from.