Books by David Rudolph
Covenant and the People of God gathers twenty-four essays from friends and colleagues of Messiani... more Covenant and the People of God gathers twenty-four essays from friends and colleagues of Messianic Jewish theologian and New Testament scholar Mark S. Kinzer, in honor of his seventieth birthday. The essays are organized around two central themes that have animated Kinzer's work: the nature of the covenant and what it means to be the people of God. The volume includes fascinating discussions of some of the most sensitive areas related to Jewish-Christian dialogue, post-supersessionist interpretation of Scripture, and the theological shape of Messianic Judaism. Among the contributors are scholars working in North America, Europe, and Israel. They include: Gabriele Boccaccini, Douglas A. Campbell, Holly Taylor Coolman, Gavin D'Costa, Jean-Miguel Garrigues, Douglas Harink, Richard Harvey, Vered Hillel, Jonathan Kaplan, Daniel Keating, Amy-Jill Levine, Antoine Levy, Gerald McDermott, Michael C. Mulder, David M. Neuhaus, Isaac W. Oliver, Ephraim Radner, Jennifer M. Rosner, David J. Rudolph, Thomas Schumacher, Faydra L. Shapiro, R. Kendall Soulen, Lee B. Spitzer, and Etienne Veto.
Introduction to Messianic Judaism provides a description of what the Messianic Jewish community l... more Introduction to Messianic Judaism provides a description of what the Messianic Jewish community looks like today at its center and on its margins. The first section of the book traces the ecclesial contours of the community, providing a socio-historical and theological snapshot of the community's origins, where it is presently and where it is heading. Alongside these chapters, the book also includes a number of essays on biblical and theological issues central to the identity of Messianic Judaism. The twelve contributors to the first part of the book are recognized leaders in the Messianic Jewish community. They work with various organizations, including the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues, the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council, Tikkun International, Chosen People Ministries, Messianic Jewish Theological Institute, Israel College of the Bible and the New School for Jewish Studies. Fourteen scholars from a wide spectrum of Christian backgrounds have written essays for the second part of the book. Their participation signals a growing academic and ecclesial interest in Messianic Judaism. Since the 1970s, a sea change has taken place in New Testament studies that has far-reaching implications for how the church evaluates Messianic Judaism. A broad reassessment of the New Testament writers’ view of Judaism has occurred since the publication of E. P. Sanders’s seminal work Paul and Palestinian Judaism (1977), and this reevaluation continues unabated. The contributors to the second part of Introduction to Messianic Judaism draw from this recent scholarship and demonstrate how post-supersessionist interpretation of the New Testament results in readings of the biblical text that are consistent with Messianic Judaism. The final section of the book is written by Joel Willitts who provides a summary and synthesis of the essays, explaining how they shed light on the ecclesial context and biblical foundations of Messianic Judaism.
The primary aim of the monograph is to demonstrate that scholars overstate their case when they m... more The primary aim of the monograph is to demonstrate that scholars overstate their case when they maintain that 1 Cor 9:19-23 is incompatible with a Torah-observant Paul. A secondary aim is to show how one might understand 1 Cor 9:19-23 as the discourse of a Jew who remained within the bounds of pluriform Second Temple Judaism. Part I addresses the intertextual, contextual and textual case for the traditional reading of 1 Cor 9:19-23. Weaknesses are pointed out and alternative approaches are considered. The exegetical case in Part II centres on interpreting 1 Cor 9:19-23 in light of Paul's recapitulation in 1 Cor 10:32-11:1, which concludes with the statement, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ".
Given the food-related and hospitality context of 1 Cor 8-10, and Paul's reference to dominical sayings that point back to Jesus' example and rule of adaptation, it is argued that 1 Cor 9:19-23 reflects Paul's imitation of Jesus' accommodation-oriented table-fellowship with all. As Jesus became all things to all people through eating with ordinary Jews, Pharisees and sinners, Paul became "all things to all people" through eating with ordinary Jews, strict Jews (those "under the law") and Gentile sinners. This Cambridge University dissertation won the 2007 Franz Delitzsch Prize from the Freie Theologische Akademie.
Journal Articles by David Rudolph
The Evangelical QJtarterly ing and not the body as indicated by the textual variant Ka6ap((ov. 2 ... more The Evangelical QJtarterly ing and not the body as indicated by the textual variant Ka6ap((ov. 2 Furthermore, as Origen and Chrysostom have noted, Ka6ap((wv agrees grammatically with AEYEL in verse 18, thus suggesting that both are comments by Mark. 3 I. The Purpose of Jesus' Teaching The Classic Reading Commentators since the Patristic period have considered verse 19b to reflect the negative perspective Jesus held toward Jewish ceremonies in general. Jesus here abrogated the ritual purity and dietary laws of the Torah, a calculated step in the breaking away of Christianity from Judaism. This view, advocated by Bultmann, Kasemann, Schweizer, Merkel, Hubner, Haenchen, Kummel, Lambrecht and Stauffer, continues to resonate in NT scholarship:4 • Robert Gundry writes: 'In w 6-13 Jesus equated the Mosaic law with God's Word and scolded the Pharisees for nullifying God's Word with their tradition. Now Jesus himself is nullifying God's Word with regard to food. But it is the prerogative of Jesus as God's Son to change the Law.'5 • Larry Hurtado states that Jesus' teaching not only takes issue with a major feature of traditional Jewish religious practice but also rescinds a major body of OT material dealing with such ritual laws. '6 2 Based on the variant Kct9ctPL(OV (neuter), the KJV, NKJV, NEB and Phillips render verse 19b as a continuation of Jesus' words: ' ... because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is thus purifying all foods?' (NKJ). Kct9ap({OV occurs in K., G, 33, 700, 2542 pm. However, Metzger notes that the 'overwhelming weight of manuscript evidence' supports the reading Kct9ctPL(WV (masculine). See B. M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (Stuttgart, 1994), 81. Malina has argued for the neuter variant on the grounds that it is the more difficult reading for Gentile Christians unfamiliar with Jewish halakhah. He suggests that a scribe changed the short '0' (omicron) to long '0' (omega) in order to 'harmonize New Testament references to food rules and contemporary Gentile Christian practice.' See B.]. Malina, 'A Conflict Approach to Mark 7', Forum 3 (1988), 22-3. The argument suffers from a lack of textual support; we have no early MSS with the neuter variant. The case also rests on fairly late Rabbinic texts. For a survey of alternative textual approaches to
The evidence surveyed in this paper indicates that Paul took great care in his letters to differe... more The evidence surveyed in this paper indicates that Paul took great care in his letters to differentiate between Jesus-believing Jews and Gentiles for the purpose of mutual blessing. Moreover, Paul (like the Jerusalem apostles) formulated a universal rule that the circumcised should remain circumcised (i.e. practicing Jews), and that the uncircumcised should remain uncircumcised in keeping with their respective callings from God.
Romanian translation of “Paul's ‘Rule in All the Churches’ (1 Cor 7:17-24) and Torah-Defined Eccl... more Romanian translation of “Paul's ‘Rule in All the Churches’ (1 Cor 7:17-24) and Torah-Defined Ecclesiological Variegation.” Trans. Delia Mihai and Onisim Moisa, 2022. Originally published in Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 5 (2010): 1-23.
Romanian translation of “‘To the Jew First’: Paul’s Vision for the Priority of Israel in the Life... more Romanian translation of “‘To the Jew First’: Paul’s Vision for the Priority of Israel in the Life of the Church by Onisim Moisa (2022).” Trans. Delia Mihai and Onisim Moisa, 2022. The article was originally published in Kesher: A Journal of Messianic Judaism 37 (2020): 11-25.
By David Rudolph hen I was asked to speak on the subject of guidelines for healthy theological di... more By David Rudolph hen I was asked to speak on the subject of guidelines for healthy theological discussion, the story of Michael Wyschogrod?s meeting with Karl Barth came to mind. Asalittle background, Michael Wyschogrod is an Orthodox Jewish theologian who lives in New York City. Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian and one of the most influential Christian thinkers of the 20th century. Michael Wyschogrod writes of his meeting with Barth: Ona sunny morning in August 1966 I visited Barth in his modest home on the Bruderholzallee in Basel. He had been told that I was a ?Jewish Barthian,? and this amused him to no end. We spoke about various things and at one point he said: ?You Jews have the promise but not the fulfillment; we Christians have both promise and fulfillment.? Influenced by the banking atmosphere of Basel, I replied: ?With human promises, one can have the promise but not the fulfillment. The one who promises can die, or change his mind, or not fulfill his promise for any number of reasons. But a promise of God is like money in the bank. If we have his promise, we have its fulfillment and if we do not have the fulfillment we do not have the promise.? There wasa period of silence and then he said, ?You know, I never thought of it that way.?! This is a very inspiring story to me because here one of the most distinguished Christian theologians of the 20th century says, ?You know, I never thought of it that way.? My hope for this symposium is that we would all leave here on Wednesday having said at least once, ?You know, I never thought of it that way.? The ability to say these words is a sign of healthy theological discussion.
Romanian translation of “Guidelines for Healthy Theological Discussion.” Trans. Delia Mihai and O... more Romanian translation of “Guidelines for Healthy Theological Discussion.” Trans. Delia Mihai and Onisim Moisa, 2022. Originally published in Kesher: A Journal of Messianic Judaism 22 (2008): 1-5.
Essays in Edited Volumes by David Rudolph
God’s Israel and the Israel of God: A Conversation on Paul and Supersessionism, 2023
The first two essays of this volume champion N. T. Wright’s conception of “Pauline supersessionis... more The first two essays of this volume champion N. T. Wright’s conception of “Pauline supersessionism” and claim that it is not a replacement theology. But what is Wright’s perspective on the covenantal status of non-Messianic Jews? And how does Wright’s theology of Israel impact a Christian view of Jews in the church? This response addresses these questions and raises concerns that Wright and this book promote a version of traditional supersessionism, a third race theology, that envisions Jewish life as obsolete in the New Covenant era and Jewish people as replaced by the church, an outlook that for centuries has empirically led to the rise of Christian antisemitism.
Covenant and the People of God: Essays in Honor of Mark S. Kinzer, 2023
The Future Restoration of Israel: A Response to Supersessionism, 2023
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Books by David Rudolph
Given the food-related and hospitality context of 1 Cor 8-10, and Paul's reference to dominical sayings that point back to Jesus' example and rule of adaptation, it is argued that 1 Cor 9:19-23 reflects Paul's imitation of Jesus' accommodation-oriented table-fellowship with all. As Jesus became all things to all people through eating with ordinary Jews, Pharisees and sinners, Paul became "all things to all people" through eating with ordinary Jews, strict Jews (those "under the law") and Gentile sinners. This Cambridge University dissertation won the 2007 Franz Delitzsch Prize from the Freie Theologische Akademie.
Journal Articles by David Rudolph
Essays in Edited Volumes by David Rudolph