About This Course
Take an interfaith journey with Rabbi Patrick Beaulier and Pastor Kerra English, personal friends who frequently teach interfaith approaches to the Bible throughout the Richmond, VA area.
This course will discuss the history and themes of Jewish-Christian relations. From the New Testament and biblical interpretation to the writings of rabbis and church fathers, through the past to the modern day, and more.
Our core text will be An Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations by Edward Kessler, which Pastor Kerra and Rabbi will co-teach in what feels like an interfaith book club podcast.
Each podcast episode will include one chapter of An Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations and a discussion between Pastor Kerra and Rabbi Patrick. Pastor Kerra will also include additional readings, so rabbinical students can learn more about Christian perspectives. Rabbi Patrick will also supplement with materials about Jewish leadership in a predominantly Christian world.
Completion of the course is one credit.
Please note that this podcast is very casual and occasionally contains adult language.
Student Assignment
Create your own podcast on the subjects in the book. This includes:
- Find a cohost or a group of cohosts. The cohosts do not have to read the materials, but they need to be prepared to have a conversation with you on the subject. Cohost should be Christian, either clergy member(s) or educated lay leaders
- Record the podcast in either audio or video for each chapter of the book (see below)
- Post the podcast to Soundcloud, YouTube, or another outlet as a playlist of the episodes in order. If you want, you can publish the podcast to a wider audience using PodBean
- Submit the link to the final playlist of all episodes in the quiz below
The podcast episodes should be at least thirty minutes long.
Name each episode after the book chapters:
1 Introduction
2 The New Testament
3 The writings of the church fathers
4 The writings of the rabbis
5 Biblical interpretation
6 Medieval relations
7 Antisemitism and the Holocaust
8 Zionism and the state of Israel
9 Covenant, mission and dialogue
10 Jewish–Christian relations and the wider interfaith encounter
For each chapter/podcast episode, please discuss at least one item from the book and one item from Pastor Kerra and Rabbi Patrick’s podcast. For example, your podcast on Jewish-Christian Relations and the Wider Interfaith Encounter may include a discussion on the Jewish-Christian encounter of Islam from the book, as well as a conversation on “what would you do” if you were in a situation like the interfaith event Rabbi Patrick discusses in the podcast.
Learning Materials
An Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations by Edward Kessler is included in .PDF form below, but you may also purchase a print or reader-friendly copy if you feel you need it here
Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations Podcast
Supplemental Materials Suggested By Instructors
The New Testament
The Writings of the Rabbis
Biblical Interpretation
https://www.betemunah.org/rules.html
The above link is a Christian source, but its info on the Jewish approach is in line with rabbinical structure. Seeing how a Christian might overlay a New Testament understanding is valuable in the Jewish-Christian experience of biblical interpretation, so an otherwise untrusted source is provided.
Medieval Relations
Synagogue of Satan YouTube videos (for reference to antisemitic attempts in video)
Further mis-teachings about the Talmud on YouTube
The Holocaust
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barmen_Declaration
Covenant, Mission and Dialogue
Jewish-Christian Relations and the Wider Interfaith Encounter
Note that purchase of the four books using these links provides a small affiliate fee to PRS. Purchase of the books would be anonymous to PRS
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to articulate the following themes of Jewish-Christian relations:
- Themes of covenant and mission in Jewish and Christian understandings and their intersection
- The New Testament and biblical interpretation
- Writings of rabbis and church fathers
- Medieval Jewish-Christian history
- Antisemitism in the Hashoah and Jewish-Christian issues in Zionism and the State of Israel
- Working in interfaith settings and building relationships
- The ability to record and put together a multiple episode podcast
About Your Instructors
Pastor Kerra English is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church USA, with a Master of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary and more than 20 years pastoring Presbyterian Congregations. She is also a trained spiritual director through the RUAH School of Spiritual Direction at Richmond Hill. Together with Rabbi Patrick Beaulier she hosts talks on the Bible from Jewish and Christian perspectives.
Master of Divinity, Union Presbyterian Seminary
Spiritual Direction, RUAH School of Spiritual Direction at Richmond Hill
