Publishers Weekly
02/28/2022
In this uneven blend of the personal and theological, Rosner (Healing the Schism), a theology professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, details her path to becoming a Messianic Jew, someone who accepts Christ as the Messiah and considers themselves Jewish. Rosner grew up in a Jewish home in California, and in college most of her friends were Christian, which led her to consider Christianity and, “through a series of powerful events,” to the belief that the claims of Jesus were “undeniable.” After enrolling in divinity school, Rosner writes that her “Jewish identity started clamoring for attention,” and she identified as a Messianic Jew. Her account of her relationships, marriage, motherhood, and spiritual life alternates with deep dives into Jesus’s Jewishness and the origins of the schisms between the two faiths. Rosner, though, only lightly addresses the “checkered history of the Messianic Jewish movement” and does little to advance the conversation. She also struggles to prove that the dividing lines between Christianity and Judaism “are not quite as stable as we might assume,” as she doesn’t confront the apparent constancy of the central theological difference: whether Jesus was the Messiah. Rosner’s sincerity and passion shine, but she is unlikely to change minds. (May)
Marty Solomon
"This is a book I didn't know I was waiting for. As a Jewish follower of Jesus, Jen has affirmed much of my own experience and bore witness to something meaningful that God is doing. She has challenged me to reconsider things I thought settled and has taught me other things I did not know. She has done all of this in a volume that is brilliantly and cleverly arranged, using the pleasant sharing of her own story as a guide. It is another book that will serve as a marker for the larger conversation about reckoning the Jewishness of the Christian faith and Jewish identity in the world today."
Amos Yong
"Formative years in the Vineyard movement taught Jennifer Rosner to bear testimonial witness to Jesus in the power of the Spirit. This book testifies of her loves—of Yonah, her husband (theologians fall in love too!), of Jesus the Messiah (here a Jewish person is grasped by his love!), and of historic and contemporary Jewish faith and practice (how one can fall in love with the tradition one was raised in all over again!). Spoiler alert: Christians and Jews, including theologians from both faiths, who read this book will need to be prepared to be challenged by Rosner's powerful theological narrative that cuts right to the core of the biblical message!"
Drew Collins
"In Finding Messiah, Jen Rosner asks what might be the most simple yet significant question facing Christians today: How did the church forget that the incarnate God was an observant Jew? In this powerfully written and illuminating book, Rosner tells both the history of how Christian faith distanced itself from its Jewish roots and relations alongside her personal story of becoming a Jewish follower of Jesus. Along the way, she shows us that we are in the midst of a monumental and long-overdue reconsideration of the relationship between Christianity and Judaism—and why this is crucial for Christian faith."
Brian Zahnd
"In Finding Messiah, Jennifer M. Rosner deftly weaves together her fascinating story of becoming a Jewish follower of Jesus with her adept theological investigation into the questions and implications surrounding Messianic Christianity. Rosner's attempt to bridge the ancient rift between Jewish identity and Christian faith is timely and important. I thoroughly enjoyed this book."
Richard J. Mouw
"Jen Rosner urges us, having followed the telling of her unfolding story about what her Jewishness means for her faith in Christ, to think back now on our own stories. . . . Rosner has forced me to face issues that I have long been willing to ignore, and I will now continue to face. I am confident that her wonderful book will motivate others to make the journey also."
R. Kendall Soulen
"How odd that one of the Bible's main themes—God's love for the Jewish people—is so often missing from textbooks on Christian theology. In this book, Jen Rosner interweaves autobiography, interpretation of Scripture, liturgics, doctrinal analysis, and historical investigation to fill in the gap. The result is an illuminating study that is likely to challenge and change the way you understand the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Michelle Van Loon
"The good news is as Jewish as Jesus is, and Jennifer Rosner's warm, insightful work invites readers to take a fresh look at what this means for their faith. Her exploration of subjects that often have been issues of confusion when considering the Jewish foundations of faith in Jesus, such as ritual purity, holy days, and the apostle Paul's writing, are grounded in both careful scholarship and deeply rooted faith in Messiah Jesus. As a Jewish believer, I am grateful for Finding Messiah and the conversations I know it will spark in the church."
Gerald McDermott
"Look no further. This is the most enjoyable introduction to Jesus and Judaism you will ever find. It is Professor Rosner's personal story of religious exploration through her fascinating life of study and love in California and Israel. It is precise in its account of scholarly debates but also perfectly accessible to nonscholars. Recommended to all."
Lois Tverberg
"Jen Rosner interweaves her fascinating journey as a Messianic Jew navigating the tensions between Judaism and Christianity with an informative discussion of the Judaism of the earliest believers in Jesus. I heartily recommend her work here. Christians everywhere need to learn more about the Jewishness of the New Testament and the necessity of understanding of Jesus and Paul within their original Hebraic context."
Jason Byassee
"So much theology is written as though nothing much is at stake. But to read Jen Rosner, the stakes could not be higher: draining Christianity of the poison of anti-Judaism and showing her fellow Jews that she can be a loyal daughter of Sarah and follower of Jesus. I'm not sure which is the taller task! But I do know this: she has written a beautiful and brave and learned book, and you should read it."
From the Publisher
"In Finding Messiah, Jennifer M. Rosner deftly weaves together her fascinating story of becoming a Jewish follower of Jesus with her adept theological investigation into the questions and implications surrounding Messianic Christianity. Rosner's attempt to bridge the ancient rift between Jewish identity and Christian faith is timely and important. I thoroughly enjoyed this book."
--Brian Zahnd, author of When Everything's on Fire
"The good news is as Jewish as Jesus is, and Jennifer Rosner's warm, insightful work invites readers to take a fresh look at what this means for their faith. Her exploration of subjects that often have been issues of confusion when considering the Jewish foundations of faith in Jesus, such as ritual purity, holy days, and the apostle Paul's writing, are grounded in both careful scholarship and deeply rooted faith in Messiah Jesus. As a Jewish believer, I am grateful for Finding Messiah and the conversations I know it will spark in the church."
--Michelle Van Loon, author of Moments & Days: How Our Holy Celebrations Shape Our Faith
