Jewish-Christian Debates

Book excerpt: Two eminent scholars, each expert in his own tradition, take Jewish-Christian dialogue to a new level. Aiming at neither mere description nor conversion, each presents the classical elements of his tradition's understanding of three fundamental, common religious questions: where to meet God, how to live, and what to hope for. Chilton and Neusner's lively comparisons serve as a primer on the defining energies of these twomonumental religious traditions, intertwined in their roots. The reader is invited to identify the traditions'unity of questions and the equally strong differences in answers and thereby to illumine one's own faithcommitments about belief, piety, and the purpose of human life.