A Jewish Trinity

The Christian affirmation of a triune God has always perplexed and confounded Jews. Can Jews get beyond understanding the Trinity as inherently tri-theistic A Jewish Trinity serves as an entrance into a range of issues in Jewish-Christian theological difference, presenting a Jewish understanding of six topics in contemporary Christian theology: Trinity, original sin, incarnation, salvation, messianism, and covenant.

In A Jewish Trinity Alan Brill seeks a Jewish appreciation for the core theological differences between the two religions. The book is informed by recent historical studies of the early Jewish-Christian division, showing greater commonality in theological ideas. The book, however, concentrates on contemporary Christian theology--especially the constructive theology of Karl Rahner and Juergen Moltmann--to demonstrate that contemporary Christian theological formulations possess greater affinity to Jewish conceptions than did prior Christian theology, while also still providing religious difference.

This work of comparative theology is a crucial next step in Jewish-Christian encounter for our historically informed, post-polemical age. Brill shows that Jews and Christians can engage in comparative discourse on theological issues with full clarity and understanding. The book seeks to change the field of Jewish-Christian encounter, going beyond reconciliation toward a richer and deeper theological discussion of similarity and difference.