A Rivalry of Genius: Jewish and Christian Biblical Interpretation in Late Antiquity (Suny Series in Judaica)

Rating:
Summary: No argument here - great book on early Xian/Jewish polemics
Review: A Rivalry of Genius is a fascinating look at early Christian and Jewish polemics. Hirshman chooses his details carefully, and while some points show a thinly veiled scholarly bias, a critical reader will enjoy delving into the well-organized and thoughtfully-presented material. Anyone who is interested in the beginnings of either the early church, or especially the beginnings of Rabbinic Judaism, should definitely read this book.

Rating:
Summary: A case for consistent arguments
Review: This book examines the role that the early Christians and Rabbis had on the development of their respective faiths in a competitive perspective.

It is largely argued by the author that the decisive factor in Christianity's ability to persuade over time was the early believer's ability to set down their arguments in writing. The Jewish insistence on using primarily a oral tradition while avoiding codifying their positions basically weakened their ability to mobilize on a wide and consistent scale.

On the other hand, the early church fathers use of the written vernacular developed a consistency that could be studied easier and advanced faster as opposing critical arguments were presented, "Learning from the past" if you will.

The reason I have given this an average rating is that the reading is a bit redundant at times.