A bridge to dialogue : the story of Jewish-Christian relations /

This is a history of Christian anti-Semitism from New Testament times to the present, written by a Christian and directed primarily to a Christian audience. The work focuses not on racial anti-Semitism (i.e., hatred of Jews as a people) but on theological anti-Semitism (i.e., hatred of the Jewish religion or contempt for the Jews because of their rejection of Christianity). Rousmaniere cogently shows how and why theological prejudice developed against Jews because of misconceptions on the part of the gospel writers, basic misunderstandings of what Paul said in his epistles, and adverse political conditions after the Jewish temple was destroyed in A.D. 70. This is a first-rate overview for general readers and is recommended for most public and church libraries, especially since Jules Isaac's groundbreaking book The Teaching of Contempt (1964) is now out of print.-- Robert A. Silver, Shaker Heights P.L., Ohio (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.