This review must fall into two parts in order to guide readers with an interest in Jewish-Christian relations. First of all there must be a critique of Braybrooke’s presuppositions and goals, and then a challenge to evangelicals in particular, but to all Christians with confidence in the historic gospel, to face up to the serious challenges which he makes in this book. First of all, then, we note Braybrooke’s own point of departure. He states often throughout the book that he believes that all religions have key insights and emphases, and that all of these have a necessary role in the living of a fulfilled life under God. Each unique contribution is to be seen as equally significant and revelatory: ‘Christians need to recognize God’s saving activity within all the great religious traditions’ (p. 6). Christianity’s relationship to Judaism is particularly important here, but actually within this overall perspective. He bases this position very much on his personal experiences and relationships with people of other faiths, especially Jewish people, and, perhaps not surprisingly, his theological thinking is rarely rigorous. Indeed, he can be quite naïve, as when he gives the model of himself marrying a disciple of Yoga to a member of the Divine Light Mission, and in that ‘moving and special occasion’, gladly receives ‘a copy of the Aquarian Gospel’ (p. 156).

Hand-in-glove with this position, of course, goes a number of classic devaluations of the historic gospel and its understanding in the church. Jesus himself is reduced to being solely a great human being (e.g., ‘I see Jesus now as fully human, yet as completely obedient to the Father as any human can be’, p. 45); the gospel accounts of Jesus’ words are not to be trusted, since they are the creation of polemical Gentiles at a later time and place (e.g. he speaks of ‘the distortions of the New Testament’, p. 58); he discounts the value of having a historic doctrinal basis for the Christian church (esp. chapter 5, passim). Braybrooke, the Vicar of Christ Church, Bath, is happy with this position, but evangelicals cannot accept this reductionist version of the Christian faith. In fact there are a few passages where evangelicals are stereotyped as theologically immature, morally insensitive, and not concerned with learning from other people and traditions.

In closing this first part of the review, it is again my sad duty to note that once again Jewish believers in Jesus have been shunned in a treatment of Jewish-Christian relations. It is in fact quite ironic that Braybrooke twice mentions that Jewish believers are ignored unfairly (pp. 36, 80), and himself says no more about them either!

But now to the second half of the review. Braybrooke’s voice is not a lone one in Christian theological circles today, and the challenges he puts to the church need to be taken seriously, worked on, and written about at this same popular level. What then do we need to respond to for this and future generations of Christians? On the one hand, there are matters which relate specifically to our relationship with Judaism and the Jewish people: (a) We need a full response to the terrible fact of persistent Christian anti-Semitism. What is more, we need to realize that the Holocaust was a watershed in history; (b) We need a full response to the amazing fact of the State of Israel; (c) We need to examine thoroughly our understanding of the covenantal basis of the faiths of both Judaism and Christianity; and (d) We need to scrutinize our understanding of the Torah and its role within both covenantal faiths.

More generally, however, we must think rigorously about presenting a full evangelical theology for today’s multi-religious, multi-ethnic society. Where is our theology of suffering which rejects easy triumphalism? How are we to relate to devout members of another faith? To what extent can we join forces for projects of social justice? What is the difference between witness, mission, evangelism and proselytism? How can we get evangelicals involved in inter-faith dialogues at every level? These challenges need to be met in order for a proper response to be made to this book. This is all especially important in this Decade of Evangelism!

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