Finding The Way Between Two Theologies

Well, I’m half way through my first module on Messianic Jewish Theology, and I feel like I’m only at the tip of a very big iceberg.

This subject is huge; it demands a sound understanding of both Jewish and Christian Theology, as the ultimate aim is to find the authentic truth between the two, always having an eye on making it relevant and applicable to life in the 21^st Century. This is perhaps the ultimate "narrow path", but it is essential to map a way through it, so that others may follow.

Messianic Judaism challenges the boundaries of both Judaism and Christianity, and though it's a movement that has only been revived in the latter part of the 20^th Century, it traces its roots back to the days of Yeshua.

Having graduated from the London School of Theology (LST) 15 years ago, my Theology is somewhat rusty, as my focus has been teaching on RE and our Ministry teaching has focussed on the Jewish / Biblical Roots of the Christian faith.

Theological discussion / study is a discipline that so many of us in our busy lives leave behind, as it demands every aspect of your being as you try and grapple with things Divine. Theology, being the study of God, is something we all engage in at one level or another – and it is also a form of worship. Therefore, as my mind is being stretched in all directions, and as I try to articulate complex arguments in my limited way, I know it is all for Him and about Him... so I pray that in my weaknesses He will still be glorified.

This probably best describes my experiences thus far:

'Rabbi Judah composed a hymn, Shir Hakavod (the song of glory), that is still sung weekly in many Jewish services. One line is particularly relevant... in speaking of the ineffability of God, "I tell of Your glory though I have not seen You. I imagine You, and I call You by name, though I know You not." When I consider these words, I am reminded how difficult it is to describe God... Mystery and infinity lie at the heart of religious faith.' (David Ellenson)

We posted the above quote on Facebook today. It is very much a summation of my walk with God at present. Even though I walk closely to Him, my Father, and He clearly leads me and speaks to me tenderly, as I study more about Him I am overwhelmed by my inability to articulate who He is. He is transcendent, yet immanent (God with us). He calls us by name, yet He governs the whole universe.

It’s an exciting time to be studying, as there are now about 150,000 Jewish believers in Yeshua world-wide, and the numbers of Gentiles that are discovering the Jewish roots of the Christian faith are growing in number too. My heart is to try and get to grips with Messianic Jewish Theology and make it both relevant and easy to understand for the layman. It’s vital that all of us who are part of this movement know what we think and why, so that our theology can be established for the future generations, and that we can challenge the Church and Synagogue, with wisdom and accuracy.

The main text for my module is “Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology – A Constructive Approach” by Richard Harvey.

It is a detailed overview of all the Messianic Theologians to date, and their teachings on the main tenets of our faith. There is a huge variety of belief within the Messianic Movement, but the authors aim is for there to be constructive dialogue so that this relatively new movement can gather momentum and be a force to be reckoned with in the 21^st Century. It is an excellent book if you want a ‘taster’ of the variety of perspectives that exist, but beware... it covers so many scholars that you will be tempted to order a number of other books as you will want to know more!

This website http://derek4messiah.wordpress.com/ has a blog that has been reviewing the book chapter by chapter. It is worth taking a look as you’ll see what the book is about in more detail, and can even get involved in the discussion if you want to. 

If we are going to formulate a strong Messianic Jewish Theology and be a light to both Jews and Gentiles we must know from where our present Theology has come from.

I’ve got so much to learn, so my extra companions at the moment are:  Alistair McGrath: “A Christian Theology” and Louis Jacobs: “The Religion of Judaism and a Jewish Theology”. Both are vital tools for me and are excellent books that we all need on our shelves if we want to take this subject seriously and know the frameworks from which both faiths are working from. It’ll take me many months if not years to absorb the information in each of these, so don’t hold your breath for a full review of these just yet!

Next time I’ll let you know about some more of the books I’ve been reading - like “The Jewish Messiah” by Dan Cohn-Sherbok, which is the research that will form the foundation of my talk at Shoresh’im in April on the “Jewish Expectations of the Messiah” over the last 2,500 years.

Please keep praying for me, as immersion in theology can allow one to have regular divine encounters, yet it also causes one to question, ponder, think and dream more intensely than one is used to. I need the clarity and wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit more than ever before.

Thanks for reading,

Natasha