Source: gastongazette.com

On Dec. 5, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine will bring her expertise to Unity Place in Gastonia to speak on “Jesus, Judaism and Jewish-Christian Relations.” The free public lecture is one of several events organized by Gastonia’s Temple Emanuel in honor of the synagogue’s 100th anniversary.

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine

When Dr. Amy-Jill Levine was riding the school bus one day as a little girl, another child told her she had killed God. This harsh remark sparked Levine’s quest to understand and study her Jewish faith as well as Christianity and the relationship between the two religions.

She went to church classes with her Christian friends when she was young, started taking college religion courses during high school, and went on to earn her Ph.D. At Vanderbilt University’s Divinity School and College of Arts and Sciences, Levine is the University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies, and Professor of Jewish Studies.

Levine will delve into how early Jews understood the Torah, their relationship with gentile neighbors, the “The Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus’ piety, parables and how they were interpreted, and Jesus’ attitude toward prayer, politics and women. There will also be time for questions from the audience. Here’s what Levine had to say about Jewish-Christians relations and her upcoming lecture:

Question: What can audience members expect from your talk on “Jesus, Judaism and Jewish-Christian Relations?”
Answer:“We’ll look at both the common roots of Judaism and Christianity and the distinct branches and how we came to be separated. Understanding Jesus requires understanding the first-century context… continue reading at gastongazette.com