Uneasy Allies?: Evangelical and Jewish Relations

Uneasy Allies? offers a careful study of the cultural distance between Jews and Evangelicals, two groups that have been largely estranged from one another. While in the past, American Jews have been wary of accepting the support of would-be Evangelical Christian allies, changes have occurred due to the critical situation in the Middle East. Over the past few years, leaders in mainstream Jewish organizations have been more open to accepting Evangelical support but have also encountered new tensions. Alan Mittleman, Byron R. Johnson, and Nancy Isserman bring together a collection of critical essays that investigate how each group perceives the other and the evolution of their relationship together. This book focuses on the history of Evangelical-Jewish relations from the level of communal agencies to grassroots groups. While the essays document differences in worldview, ethos, and politics, they also highlight shared values and problems. These commonalities have the potential to broaden the relationship between the two communities. Uneasy Allies? is an illuminating book that will stimulate discussion among scholars of religion and politics and those interested in Jewish studies.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Is America Christian? Religion in America at the turn of the Twentieth Century Chapter 2 Evangelical Protestants and Jews: A View from the Polls Chapter 3 How Wide is the Social Distance between Jews and Evangelicals? Chapter 4 The Organized Jewish Community and Evangelical America: A Brief History Chapter 5 "Luckier than Moses:" The Future of the Jewish-Evangelical Alliance Chapter 6 On the Road: The Jewish Community Relations Encounter with Evangelical Christians Chapter 7 Evangelical Ironies: Theology, Politics, and Israel Chapter 8 Evangelicals and Israel Chapter 9 Jews and Evangelicals - Between Prophecy and Mitzvot Chapter 10 American Jews and Evangelical Christians: Anatomy of a Changing Relationship Chapter 11 Last Things: The Future of Jews and Evangelicals in American Public Life Chapter 12 Notes for a Jewish-Evangelical Conversation Chapter 13 What Makes Evangelical and Jewish Relations Uneasy?

About the Author :
Alan Mittleman is director of the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies and professor of Jewish philosophy at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Byron R. Johnson is professor of sociology and codirector of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. Nancy Isserman is the associate director of the Feinstein Center for American Jewish History at Temple University.

Review :
Even though we do need the question mark, the title of this important book gets it right: Evangelicals and Jews are allies, but we have typically been uneasy in each other's presence. By sorting out the facts, clearing up the misunderstandings, and laying bare the real differences, the authors of these essays make a major contribution toward diminishing the uneasiness and thereby strengthening the alliance. Recommended. The collection contains some particularly valuable chapters. . . . The contributors should be commended for their in-depth analysis of the differences between fundamentalists, evangelicals, and liberal mainline Protestants. . . . The volume's editors and contributors provide a balanced, nuanced analysis that in general avoids political advocacy. . . . This balance of perspectives, the lack of polemics, and the breadth of analysis make Uneasy Allies? an extraordinary useful book. At last! A collection of essays on Evangelical-Jewish relations that features sound scholarship from diverse viewpoints, while eschewing polemics and advocacy. An excellent starting point for anyone seeking to understand how Evangelical-Jewish relations have changed in recent years, and what those changes mean.