May 15, 2018 By: stwersky
Dr. David Berger, Ruth and I. Lewis Gordon Professor of Jewish History and dean of the , spoke on May 2 at a colloquium titled 鈥淛esus and Judaism鈥 hosted by the Department of Theology of the University of Notre Dame.
Dr. Paula Fredriksen, Aurelio Professor of Scripture emerita at Boston University and distinguished visiting professor of comparative religion at Hebrew University, spoke on Jesus in his Second Temple Jewish context, in dialogue with the monumental 5-volume study of the historical Jesus (A Marginal Jew) written by Notre Dame鈥檚 Dr. John Meier, who then offered his own reflections on what he has learned (and where he has changed his mind) over the course of a career devoted to the historical Jesus. Berger followed with remarks on the topic of Jewish understandings of Jesus in later periods.
鈥淚 was honored to be included in this event,鈥 said Berger, 鈥渟ince my own area of expertise is Jewish-Christian relations, and I have written in various contexts about how Jews have seen Jesus. Some of the issues I addressed in my presentation were did Jews see Jesus as an observant Jew or a violator of the Torah? As a monotheist or as an idolater? As a representative of a Jewish ethic or an ethical innovator? As I told my audience, depending on time and place, the answer is 鈥榓ll of the above.鈥欌
