I just received a book that looks fascinating: The Case for Christianity:  St Justin Martyr’s Arguments for Religious Liberty and Judicial Justice, by Robert M. Haddad. It arrived by air mail from Australia. I’m not finding copies for sale yet in the States. Here’s a bit from the preface:

Why is reading about St Justin of Neapolis, a saint and martyr of the second century AD, important for Christians of the twenty-first century?

St Justin lived during times similar to our own in many ways. Rome was the dominant world power and appeared for all intents and purposes unassailable. Economically, militarily and geographically Rome was at its height. Yet, it was beset by a number of growing problems––moral decay, family breakdown, falling birth rates, just to name a few. Religiously, Rome was conservative, yet eastern religions and mystery cults were spreading westwards and gaining many adherents. Fidelity to the gods was seen as essential to Rome’s continued prosperity and survival. Failure to render the gods their due threatened to bring down their wrath and despoil the empire.

Hence, the problem of the Christians. They refused to give any acknowledgement to the Graeco-Roman pantheon, and thus were considered as dangerous and impious atheists. For Rome’s survival, they therefore needed to be eliminated. In their efforts to destroy Christianity the Roman judicial procedure was arbitrary and ruthless. All that was needed for summary execution was the admission of bearing the Christian name and refusing to sacrifice to the Graeco-Roman gods.

St Justin’s efforts were urgent and heroic. He petitioned the very authority that persecuted Christians with a series of arguments pleading for judicial justice and religious liberty. His arguments appealed to the nobler sense in Romans, as well as to common sense. At the same time they contained an ‘evangelistic edge’ that sought his readers’ conversion to Christianity. This spirit of evangelism is very pronounced in St Justin’s other great work, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew.

In a number of respects the plight of second century Christians reflects the suffering of Christians in various modern-day contexts. St Justin’s arguments are, therefore, of a nature that can be appreciated by many a modern reader and should be of interest and relevance to Christians deprived of religious liberty today. St Justin’s struggle also reminds us that we in the West who enjoy religious freedom should never take it for granted.

Well, he didn’t say the books were listed in order of preference, but it’s an honor to be on such a short list in such heady company.

Surely you know Taylor Marshall from his blog, Canterbury Tales. He’s frequently linked from here. A teacher at the University of Dallas, he ponders things patristic. Now he’s committed a book, and just in time for you to order it for friends for Christmas. It’s called The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of Catholic Christianity. I read it while I was traveling, a little over a month ago, and I’ve been meaning to post a review. As that becomes a less realistic expectation, I’m reduced to regurgitating my blurb —  or reblurbitating my gurge — as it appears on Taylor’s website:

John Henry Newman famously said ‘To be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant.’ Taylor Marshall helps us to be more Catholic by taking our faith to its most profound depths — its ancient roots in the religion of Israel, the Judaism beloved by the Apostles, the religion of the Temple and Synagogue, the Torah and the sacrifice. Jesus said he came not to abolish that faith but to fulfill it. In this book, we see that fullness down to the smallest details. I treasure this book.

I think this book’s market should not be limited by its subtitle. Taylor digs into areas that will fascinate Christians of all sorts. He is especially keen on the influence of ancient Jewish liturgy on the rites of emerging Christianity. It’s all well documented, to satisfy us nerds and send us on to the primaries and the wider contexts.

The chapters: 1. Jewish Messiah – Catholic Christ; 2. Jewish Kingdom – Catholic Church; 3. Jewish Tevilah – Catholic Baptism; 4. Jewish Passover – Catholic Mass; 5. Jewish Kohenin – Catholic Priests; 6. Jewish Vestments – Catholic Vestments; 7. Jewish Temple – Catholic Cathedral; 8. Jewish Synagogue – Catholic Parish; 9. Jewish Nazirites – Catholic Monastics; 10. Jewish Marriage – Catholic Marriage; 11. Jewish Holy Days – Catholic Holy Days; 12. Jewish Tzaddikim – Catholic Saints; 13. Jewish Afterlife – Catholic Afterlife.

Along the way, he answers many burning questions — though some of those questions, for some of us, were burning deep underground like a mine fire. (I’m from anthracite country. I work with what I have.) Taylor’s book made them flash to the surface of consciousness.

A sampling of subsections: How has the Jewish Temple influenced traditional Christian architecture?  How does Jesus fulfill over three hundred Messianic prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures? How does the Old Testament relate to the New Testament? Is Catholicism inherently Anti-Semitic? How does Jewish thinking presuppose devotion to Mary? Is the Catholic Church a fulfillment of historic Israel? How did the Israelite identity of the twelve Apostles influence the early Church? How do Jewish water rituals relate to Catholic baptism? Is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass a Passover meal? Should the Catholic priesthood conform to the priesthood established by Moses? Does the Pope wear a yarmulke?

I give Taylor Marshall’s The Crucified Rabbi my strongest recommendation. Use it as a stocking stuffer!

I appeared on The Martha Trowbridge Show for a long conversation on my book Angels of God: The Bible, the Church and the Heavenly Hosts. Martha posted the interview here and here.