Ep 173: The Jewishness of Jesus with Adele Reinhartz

In this episode I talk with Dr. Adele Reinhartz, professor of religious studies at the University of Ottawa in Canada. She contributed a chapter to The Next Quest for the Historical Jesus (out now on Eerdmans press) where entitled ‘Beyond the Jewish Jesus Debate’, in which she argues that historical Jesus researchers (and everyone else!) simply must take the Jewish identity of Jesus for granted. She explains why Biblical interpreters throughout the ages have either ignored or downplayed the Jewishness of Jesus and the negative impact that has had on our interpretation of him. We then explore how Jesus’s matrilinear descent, the presentation of Jesus by his biographers, and his wider Jewish context anchor his identity fully within Judaism. We discuss the controversial use of the term ‘the Jews’ in John, Jesus’s conflicts with the Pharisees, the mission of Paul to the gentiles, and the propensity for New Testament scholars to ‘grade’ the Jewishness of Jesus, as well as how grounding our understanding of Jesus in his Jewish identity will shape the future of New Testament scholarship.  

Media Referenced:

The Next Quest for the Historical Jesus: https://a.co/d/7SgiWSJ

Dr. Reinhartz Academia page: https://uottawa.academia.edu/AdeleReinhartz

Dr. Reinhartz BlueSky: ancientjewreview.bsky.social

Helen Bond Interview: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-167-the-gospels-as-biography-with-helen-bond/

James Crossley Interview: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-169-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-with-james-crossley/

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