<description>&lt;p&gt;Can Christians appreciate the Torah for anything other than bolstering their understanding of the New Testament? It's a difficult question, but I believe that an impasse exists unless it can be achieved. Many Christians embrace the historical context of their faith but quickly dismiss the logical development of rabbinic thought as one of the legitimate streams of Second Temple Judaism. Unless the Torah and, by consequence, Judaism can be understood on its own terms, then a bias will always exist.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Can Christians appreciate the Torah for anything other than bolstering their understanding of the New Testament? It's a difficult question, but I believe that an impasse exists unless it can be achieved. Many Christians embrace the historical context of their faith but quickly dismiss the logical development of rabbinic thought as one of the legitimate streams of Second Temple Judaism. Unless the Torah and, by consequence, Judaism can be understood on its own terms, then a bias will always exist.

Is there an Alternate Approach to the Torah and Judaism for Christians?

<description>&lt;p&gt;A recent listener objected to my podcast and suggested that I was unfairly characterizing all Christians in relation to negative attitudes towards the Torah and in some cases anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism. Have I done so? I explain why I don't believe that is the case and what the motivation for this podcast is.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

A recent listener objected to my podcast and suggested that I was unfairly characterizing all Christians in relation to negative attitudes towards the Torah and in some cases anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism. Have I done so? I explain why I don't believe that is the case and what the motivation for this podcast is.

Am I Unfairly Characterizing Christians? I Don't Think So.

<description>&lt;p&gt;In our previous episode, we discussed the odd fact that Marcion's complete disassociation of the New Testament with the God of the Hebrew Bible or "Old Testament" in Christian parlance actually left Judaism intact as it were. Christian theologians of the second century onward opted to retain the "Old Testament" as part of their canon but at a surprising cost to the Jewish people. Does contemporary Christianity offer a more positive approach to the fulfillment and continuing emphasis on the negation of the Torah?&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

In our previous episode, we discussed the odd fact that Marcion's complete disassociation of the New Testament with the God of the Hebrew Bible or "Old Testament" in Christian parlance actually left Judaism intact as it were. Christian theologians of the second century onward opted to retain the "Old Testament" as part of their canon but at a surprising cost to the Jewish people. Does contemporary Christianity offer a more positive approach to the fulfillment and continuing emphasis on the negation of the Torah?

The Ghost of Marcion and Christian Perspectives on the Torah

<description>&lt;p&gt;For Marcion, the Christian God was completely distinct from the God of the Jews.&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;A surprising result of Marcion’s radical position, strangely enough, is that they created such a division between Judaism and Christianity that the former was left intact with its understanding of the Divine, its sacred texts, and even its different interpretation&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;of&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;the Messiah&lt;em&gt;. &lt;/em&gt;Oddly enough, Marcion’s views were much more “favorably’ disposed towards Judaism than those of "Orthodox Christians".&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

For Marcion, the Christian God was completely distinct from the God of the Jews. A surprising result of Marcion’s radical position, strangely enough, is that they created such a division between Judaism and Christianity that the former was left intact with its understanding of the Divine, its sacred texts, and even its different interpretation of the Messiah. Oddly enough, Marcion’s views were much more “favorably’ disposed towards Judaism than those of "Orthodox Christians".

Was Marcion More Favorably Disposed towards Judaism than Orthodox Christians?

<description>&lt;p&gt;The early Christian movement in the 2nd century faced a problem. The idea of a relationship based apart from the Torah evolved into antagonism towards the Torah. This reality became exemplified and intensified in the ultimate battle over what was considered sacred Scripture. In this episode investigate this problem by first exploring a chilling legend included in an expected source.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

The early Christian movement in the 2nd century faced a problem. The idea of a relationship based apart from the Torah evolved into antagonism towards the Torah. This reality became exemplified and intensified in the ultimate battle over what was considered sacred Scripture. In this episode investigate this problem by first exploring a chilling legend included in an expected source.

The Legends of Mexico, the Crucified Jewess, and the Problem of early Christianity and the Torah

The relationship between Jews and Christians is critical to Jewish identity and self understanding since Jewish life has been both negatively and positively impacted by Christianity. This podcast explores this topic by looking into the past with the hope of forging a positive understanding in the future.


Complex Identities: Understanding the Relationship between Jews and Christians

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