A Portable God: The Origin of Judaism and Christianity »

A Portable God shows that both Judaism and Christianity emerge from the same religious tradition—that of ancient Israel—at the same time. By telling the common story of Jewish and Christian origins, A Portable God shows Jews and Christians as siblings, rather than as parent and child, showing that the similarities between Judaism and Christianity far outweigh their differences, ultimately fostering appreciation for the shared heritage of Judaism and Christianity.

Preface     vii
Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     xi
Biblical Studies Is Not Bible Study...and Vice Versa     1
Israelite Religion and Its Legacy     21
Hellenism and Apocalypticism: Globalization and Millennialism in a Different Era     45
Sects and the City     73
Communicating with God outside the Temple Walls     95
Where Is God? Divine Presence in the Absence of the Temple     119
"By What Authority Do You Say This?" Interpretation, Authority, and the Claim to Israel     139
The Question of the Messiah     165
Glossary     177
Index     195