Anti-Judaism and the Gospels, ed. William R. Farmer.
Trinity Press International. 1999. 311 pp. $24.00

When and under what circumstances do the writings of the New Testament lead to anti-Judaism? Do Christian fears and hostilities toward the Jewish people, enshrined in medieval legislation and perpetuated through centuries of church teach-ings, have their roots in the gospel proclamations of the evangelists? Can biblical scholars and historians teach new ways of reading and interpreting the New Testament that neu-tralize the polemical patterns of the past?

These questions have moved from the margins of the academy into the mainstream of New Testament scholarship over the past twenty years, and the debates about the severity of the problem have grown more measured and balanced over the years. The collection of essays edited by William Farmer enti-tled Anti-Judaism and the Gospels provides an excellent survey of these developments, and the reward of these essays is an expanded awareness of more hopeful possibilities. Each section begins with a comprehensive chapter and is followed by two responses. Along the way the reader is exposed to a broad range of views.

While the discussions largely revolve around the challenges of reading the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John, Robert L. Wilken examines teachings that emerge among the Church Fathers. E. P. Sanders concludes this collection by exploring one of the most common accusations directed against the Jewish people -- the charge of legalism. Sanders traces the stereotype from the Middle Ages to our own era and illumi-nates those theological insecurities that give rise to this false indictment. While there are ciritical junctures when the authors seem overly intent on explaining away the difficulties, this book frames challenges that deserve the careful scrutiny of educated Christians and Jews.