Winter 1984 - 1985 - Quarterly Review

JEWS AND CHRISTIANS
these pre-Christian books are inferior and outdated in their religious
outlook when compared with passages of the New Testament. In such
a context the Hebrew Scriptures at best appear as a foreword to the
fullness of faith found in the Gospels and Epistles and at worst as
works motivated by legalism and spiritual shallowness which
Christians can ignore without in any way impoverishing their
spirituality. Continued use of the term "Old Testament" tends to keep
Christians from the realization that the Hebrew Scriptures contain
rich spiritual insights vital in their own right. It likewise continues to
give credence to the discredited contrast between Christianity as a
religion of love with Judaism as a faith perspective marked by cold
legalism.
Willingness on the part of the church to forego use of the term "Old
Testament" would serve as a demonstration of good will in the
dialogue. Such a deliberate adjustment of language would also
manifest in a powerful way a fundamental shift in the church's
theological outlook vis-^-vis Judaism. It would mark a significant
move away from the traditionally negative approach, with its stress
on invalidity and outdatedness, toward the clear affirmation of the
continuing vitality of the Jewish people's faith perspective.
As much as the new Christian interest in the Hebrew Scriptures is to
be applauded and hopefully increased, it also represents a danger to
an adequate understanding of Judaism within the church. Christians
may fall into the trap of thinking that the only valid and living form of
Judaism is that found in the Hebrew Scriptures. This can easily
The period 150 B.C.E. to C.E. 50 was not altogether sterile
religiously and gave rise to many new, creative groups,
including the Pharisees.
develop into an attitude that sees postbiblical Jewish religious
expression as totally shallow and decadent. This is far from the
historical situation. Central to avoiding this dangerous trap is a
renewed appreciation of growth during the Second Temple period in
Judaism.
Most Christians remain unaware of a gap in the Bible of
approximately two centuries. The last book of the Hebrew Scriptures—the
Second Book of Maccabees—dates from around 150 B.CE,
And even if we include the Wisdom literature written in Greek around
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