Thursday,
March 20, 2003, 7:30 PM, in Rehm Library in Smith
Hall
Judaism
and Christianity share the Scriptures of Ancient Israel,
which Judaism knows as the Torah, and Christianity
as the Old Testament. Each claims to possess the sole
true meaning of God's revelation contained in Scripture.
In this joint presentation, the issue is joined, Who
owns the Bible? In addressing that issue, a theologian
of Judaism and a theologian of Christianity engage
head-on in a dialogue about the meaning and status
of God's revelation and intentions for humankind.
Here these two scholars transcends mere good will
and raise issues of religious truth: Can Jews and
Christians both be right? What does it mean to insist
that the other is wrong?
Jacob Neusner is Professor of Religion at Bard
College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. He is a Life
Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, and a
Member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton,
New Jersey. The best known and most prolific author
of our day on the history and theology of Judaism,
he holds sixteen honorary degrees and academic medals.
Bruce Chilton is Bernard Iddings Bell Professor
of Religion at Bard College and Rector of the Church
of St. John the Evangelist. His recent publications
include Pure Kingdom. Jesus' Vision of God.
With Jacob Neusner, he is the author of Jewish-Christian
Debates. God, Kingdom, Messiah, Jewish and
Christian Doctrines: The Classics Compared, and
Comparing Spiritualities: Formative Christianity
and Judaism on Finding Life and Meeting Death.
