Overall this was a very good book. Although, at times I felt like it was skimming the surface. It includes an overview of rabbinic literature(Talmud, Mishnah, Ethics of the Fathers, etc.), how the rabbis functioned in Jesus's time, and some history of different Rabbis since that time. In addition, he discusses the Sermon on the Mount and how it parallels some Rabbinic traditions, such as Hillel the Elder and Shammai, who were contemporaries of Jesus. ( )

NO OF PAGES: 270 SUB CAT I: Rabbinics SUB CAT II: Yeshua SUB CAT III: First Century Judaism DESCRIPTION: Meet the Rabbis explains to the reader how rabbinic thought was relevant to Jesus and the New Testament world, and hence should be relevant to those people today who read the New Testament.
In this sense, Rabbinic thought is relevant to every aspect of modern life. Rabbinic literature explores the meaning of living life to its fullest, in right relationship with God and humanity. However, many Christians are not aware of Rabbinic thought and literature. Indeed, most individuals in the Western world today, regardless of whether they are Christians, atheists, agnostics, secular community leaders, or some other religious and political persuasions, are more knowledgeable of Jesus? ethical teachings in the Sermon the Mount than the Ethics of the Fathers in a Jewish prayer book. The author seeks to introduce the reader to the world of Torah learning. It is within this world that the authentic cultural background of Jesus? teachings in ancient Judaism is revealed. Young uses parts of the New Testament, especially the Sermon on the Mount, as a springboard for probing rabbinic method. The book is an introduction to rabbinic thought and literature and has three main sections in its layout: Introduction to Rabbinic Thought, Introduction to Rabbinic Literature, and Meet the Rabbis, a biographical description of influential Rabbis from Talmudic sources.NOTES: Purchased from Amazon.com. SUBTITLE: Rabbinic Thought and Teachings of Jesus

First, it is important to understand a bit of scholarship that has been published. There has been a lot of scholarship inventing Jesus as being a gentile philosopher. Notably within that movement, the Jesus that is most authentic is the Jesus of the Gnostic (so called) "gospels". However, Brady Young's scholarship has been firmly rooted in a Jewish scholarship which subverts those lies and reinforces Jesus the Jew addressing His contemporary Jewish community.

This book is meant to be an introduction to Jewish religious traditions which are Jesus settings. It is not a comprehensive approach to all the various rabbis, but brief introduction to their views and practices. The book is broken up into three main parts with a fourth that serves as an appendix:

Part I: Introduction to Rabbinic Thought
1. Introduction to Rabbinic Thought
2. Master Teachers and Their Disciples
3. Torah is More Than Law
4. The Great Sanhedrin
5. Parallel Rabbinic and New Testament Texts
Part II: Introduction to Rabbinic Literature
6. Introduction to Early Jewish Writings
7. Ethics of the Fathers
8. The Amidah Prayer
9. Maimonides' Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith
10. Hillel's Seven Principles of Bible Interpretation
Part III: Introduction to the Rabbis
11. Meet the Rabbis
12. Both Torah's Were Revealed on Mount Sinai
13. Utopia or Plan of Action?
Part IV: Study Helps
Of Books, Commandments, Laws, Holy Days, and Lineage
Glossary of Terms
Bibliographic Helps
Index of Modern Authors
Index of Subjects
Index of Ancient Sources

In Part I, Brad Young discusses key Hebrew ideals and Jesus within His contemporary settings. One of the most valuable aspects to Part I is found in Chapter 5 where Jesus teachings are shown nearly identical to other rabbis who came before and after His ministry. Nearly all of Part I is discussing topics discussed in the Sermon of the Mount.

In Part II, he introduces the reader to the Mishnah and Talmud; the Oral Tradition. Likewise, the author gives an introduction to the approximate dates for the rabbinic texts. Chapters 8 and 9 are valuable for understanding foundational rabbinical theology and prayer. Next Chapter 10 though only being 7 pages long is a great resource to understanding how the rabbis interpreted the Bible. But the greatest resource in Part II is Chapter 7, Ethics of the Fathers. This chapter is Brad Young's translation (interpretation) of one of the divisions within the Mishnah. "The Ethics of the Fathers is a moral code of conduct, filled with vivid, larger-than-lie personalities. For Christians, it is a valuable source of Jewish teachings that links the spiritual world of the Old Testament with the New Testament era."

In Part III, Chapter 11 is self explanatory. The author is giving a quick introduction to a great many rabbis and a known characteristic for each of them, many of which he has already mentioned. In Chapter 12, there is a bit more of an explanation of the Oral Tradition. And the most valuable Part III is the last chapter where the author is making it known that the Sermon of the Mount is more ethical and moral faithful redemptive obedience in action than wishful thinking of utopia.

Brad Young's book is great work for anyone looking to understand Jesus within His historical settings. ( )