“Magisterial. When Jews read Our Father Abraham, they will recognize themselves in it. Marvin Wilson knows us as we know ourselves. This book is born of scholarship by a faithful Christian who is in love with the Jewish people and the God of Israel. When Christians come to know Jesus in his Jewish setting and understand through Marvin Wilson’s work that the church continues to be nurtured by its Jewish roots, then Christianity will be truthful to itself, and the Jewish people will be much more secure. We are all in debt to this venerable scholar, a rare man of faith.”
— Rabbi Yehiel E. Poupko
Rabbinic Scholar at the Jewish Federation of Chicago
“The timeliness of Marv Wilson’s book was evident by its initial reception and growing audience over the years. Three decades later, this second edition shows the timelessness of both the subject and his insights.”
— James Whitman
Center for Judaic-Christian Studies
Praise for the first edition:
“Our Father Abraham is a stunning achievement! Marvin Wilson has written a magnificent book that breaks new ground in furthering positive Christian-Jewish relations. His superb scholarship is combined with many concrete suggestions for building a new relationship between the church and the synagogue, between Christians and Jews.”
— Rabbi A. James Rudin
The American Jewish Committee
“An ambitious book, sweeping in scope. Wilson has thrown down a theological gaunt¬let, challenging Christians of all kinds to reform a two-thousand-year-old history of misunderstanding Jews and misinterpreting our own sources. Our Father Abraham does not pretend to be the last word in the dialogue, but it is a powerful first salvo!”
— Carl E. Armerding
Regent College
“For too long discussion of the Jewishness of Jesus has remained academic. Few schol¬ars have had the interest or ability to unfold the practical meaning of the Gospels’ Jewish roots for today’s church. Wilson has finally filled that void. And the result is simply revolutionary. For the first time someone has given the person in the pew an understanding of just what the Jewishness of Jesus means for his or her everyday life.”
— Jerusalem Perspective
“A distinctive exposition of what it means for today’s church to be part of Abraham’s spiritual family. . . . Refreshing and enlightening.”
—Journal of Religion
“A magnificent achievement in calling the entire body of Gentile Christianity to reassess the great religion to which it is permanently indebted.”
— Christian Scholar’s Review
“A thoroughly fascinating and enjoyable book. . . . Wilson’s goal is to show the Jewish roots of Christianity and of Jesus . . . and improve interfaith understanding. He suc¬ceeds brilliantly.”
— Jewish Advocate
“A major breakthrough for evangelicals working in the area of Christian-Jewish relations.”
— Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
“It is undoubtedly Wilson’s intention that all of us come to see our differences as more concerned with means than ends, and to a great degree he succeeds. I recommend this book to anyone with a well-thumbed Bible, but especially to church and synagogue groups (together, whenever possible) who are interested in finding out where the other half lives.”
— Journal of Ecumenical Studies
Reviews in Religion & Theology
“Christians who want to learn more about how to relate to Jewish people would benefit from reading this book but only in the company of other perspectives.”