Juan Marcos Bejarano Gutierrez has 7 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 6 narrators. The most-rated is Jewish Conquistadors in the New World.
Divine Fragmentation
Summary
Despite the Jewish origins of specific theological ideas, the proximity of concepts that appear to have become central to Christian faith raises a measure of theological uneasiness and concern, if not fear, among many Jews. There is a real apprehension, perhaps as one of my teachers, Rabbi Moshe Berger said, of being assimilated spiritually and losing one’s identity. In any case, unintentionally perhaps, the theological topics that seem too Christian, become, if not taboo, then relegated to the domain of scholars where the impact is rarely felt. This reality presents a unique opportunity that goes far beyond exploring and discussing topics in Jewish studies that may not be typical. It raises the opportunity to consider Christianity and Judaism in a different light. I regularly come across individuals who were either born Jewish and have converted to Christianity or vice versa, individuals who come from Christian backgrounds and have converted to Judaism. There is often an unfortunate link between some of them. Many of them hold incredibly angry sentiments against their previous religious traditions and community. Now, at first glance, that might make sense. Some people do not convert to another religion unless something significant happens to cause them to look elsewhere. However, the animosity and the rancor that many such individuals maintain is disturbing. It does nothing to fight antisemitism, specifically in Christian sectors, nor does it do anything to promote the general welfare of spiritual communities. Christianity and Judaism are seen as evil or deceptive by either side. Age-old accusations often surface as if nothing has occurred in the post-Shoah world. However, much has changed, though much remains to be done in combating misconceptions about either group. Now, all that being said, why should any Jew in their right mind wish to consider or perhaps reconsider, Christianity from a different vantage point? It is a fair question. There are potentially many reasons. Intellectual honesty is an important one, I believe. A reactionary approach to Christianity may bode well from an emotional and even historical perspective. It may even justify a rejection of Christianity, theologically. However, does it do justice to the reality that many of the theological bricks that Christianity is constructed on are “Jewish bricks”? That does not mean, as Gabriele Boccaccini, has pointed out that the house itself is Jewish. My interpretation of Boccaccini’s approach is that Christianity is a Judaic system, bereft of Jewishness. This book seeks to explore alternative approaches to Christianity that permit Jews to consider it as something else besides idolatry without abandoning traditional Jewish theology.
©2020 Juan Marcos Gutierrez (P)2021 Juan Marcos Gutierrez
Killing the Torah
Summary
Despite significant improvement in interfaith dialogue in some quarters between Christians and Jews, many Christians still maintain theological positions that are inimical to fundamental Jewish beliefs, and consequently, to the Jewish people. The essential perspective that sets the tone for Christian attitudes toward Jews and Judaism is their theological view of the Torah. Most Christians will argue that they hold no bias against the Torah. They cannot, they claim, since it forms a part of their biblical canon. The reality, however, is that theologically many Christians are guilty of legicide, i.e., killing the Torah, much in the same way that they have historically accused Jews of deicide, i.e., of killing God incarnate. Where my previous works have focused on Jewish attitudes toward Christians, this work is focused on challenging Christians to ensure that their perspectives on the Torah are not merely lip service to what forms the foundation for Jewish identity. The famed Lutheran theologian Rudolf Bultmann stated in 1933 that the Hebrew Scriptures were no longer revelation as it has been and still is for Jews, More seriously, he stated that the Hebrew Scripture means nothing more to Christians. Bultmann, a professor of the New Testament at the University of Marburg, did not believe that the Hebrew Scriptures should be discarded, however. But this was only, perhaps unconsciously, so that it served as the sinister foil compared to the light of the Gospel. These ideas are not limited to Bultmann, however. Even a Christian theology generally favorable toward like Hans Küng stated that the apostle Paul was justified in killing the law. The mistake that Rudolf Bultmann and others have made is that despite their study of ancient Judaism and Second Temple Judaism, their attitudes toward the Torah prevented them from legitimately recognizing the existence of contemporary Jews. The Shoah, i.e., the Holocaust, did not sadly irrelevant and does not affect their religious beliefs. Rudolf Bultmann and others seemingly refused to understand this because the practical consequences of their theological views leave only two possibilities. The first proposition is that Judaism “died long ago”. The second implication is closely related, and perhaps more insidious. It renders contemporary Judaism a fraud. Maybe this statement is the most troubling to me since, as a rabbi, it strikes at the heart of my identity. The challenge for Christianity was the simultaneous adoption of the sacred texts of the Jewish people while also rendering them null and void. It was not only a matter of Christians choosing not to follow the mandates of the Torah, but it was also to invalidate the legitimacy of continued Jewish observance and fidelity to it. The goal was, in effect, the killing of the Torah.
©2020 Juan Marcos Gutierrez (P)2020 Juan Marcos Gutierrez
What Is Jewish Thinking?
Summary
What is Jewish thinking? Is there a type of thinking that can be characterized as Jewish? If so, what is the difference between the Jewish thought and non-Jewish thinking? Does the Bible reflect a type of thinking? Is it linear? Does it correspond to Platonic or Aristotelian thought? How does rabbinic logic work? Are there polarities in the Bible? Discover this and much more in this fascinating aspect of Judaism.
©2019 Juan Marcos Gutierrez (P)2021 Juan Marcos Gutierrez
The Transformation of Israelite Religion to Rabbinic Judaism
Summary
The link between the religion of biblical Israel and the religion we now identify as rabbinic Judaism is often controversial. The controversy is often linked to theological agendas rather than an honest approach to Israel’s history. The religion of ancient Israel is linked to rabbinic Judaism is many ways. The two are linked by a shared belief in the one supreme God who created the world, chose the the Jewish people to be His people. This relationship is based on a covenantal relationship and is reflected in a shared attachment to the land of Israel, Jerusalem, and Temple, and the same sacred calendar. The religion of biblical Israel slowly transformed into what we now refer to as rabbinic Judaism through a process which saw the emergence of the biblical canon. The canon was analyzed, interpreted, and lived out in practical ways. That process of interpretation led to the rise of sectarian groups each vying for its correct interpretation of sacred texts.
©2018 Juan Marcos Gutierrez (P)2020 Juan Marcos Gutierrez
The Jews of Iberia
Summary
The history of Jews in Spain and Portugal spans more than 1,000 years. By most measures, it is even longer than the large-scale settlement of Jews in the land of Israel, which was interrupted several times in Jewish history. Legends ascribe the arrival of the earliest settlers to the days of the biblical prophet Obadiah, but archeologically speaking, the first record of Jews is much later. This book includes an overview of Jewish life in the Iberian Peninsula from its early days through the Expulsion. It includes a special focus on the rise of the Conversos, Jews who were forcibly converted to Christianity.
©2016 Juan Marcos Gutierrez (P)2021 Juan Marcos Gutierrez
Enoch Rising
Summary
Few Biblical figures are as intriguing and mysterious as Enoch. He is mentioned only a few times in the canonical Hebrew Bible, but the impact of his story went on to affect the theology of many books written during the Second Temple Era. It also set the foundation for the development of many of the ideas found in the early Christian movement. Enoch’s importance continued beyond the destruction of the Temple and survived in a new form in later rabbinic tradition. Anyone familiar with classical Judaism, the religion of the Bible and the Talmud, who has read the New Testament might experience a disconnect between it and the Hebrew Bible. Something is missing so to speak. Understanding the literature of the Second Temple period is critical to providing the missing links to understanding and appreciating the complex environment of evolving Jewish thought and the emergence of the early Christian movement from its sources. Discover the mystery of Enoch, and the fascinating impact it had on the development of Judaism and Christianity.
©2018 Juan Marcos Gutierrez (P)2021 Juan Marcos Gutierrez
Jewish Conquistadors in the New World
Summary
Three events transpired in 1492 in the Iberian Peninsula, which had tremendous ramifications for years to come. The first was the conquest of Granada, i.e., the last Muslim stronghold, by Castilian and Aragonese forces. The victory ended eight hundred years of Islam-ic rule. The conquest of Granada eventually also led to the conversions of many Muslims to Christianity, the phenomenon of Crypto-Islam, and the eventual expulsion of the descendants of these converts in 1609. The second event was the Edict of Expulsion, which ended a thousand years of Jewish life in the Peninsula. Jews were given a choice between exile or conversion. Those who converted joined the already significant ranks of the existing Converso class, which by this time numbered in the hundreds of thousands. The Conversos, i.e., Jewish converts to Christianity typically under duress, had been at the center of a religious and political crisis that had lasted for more than a century. Many Conversos had been met with discrimination and violence as their true loyalties were often disputed. The last event of note was the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus. The encounter ultimately led to the conquest of the New World and the rise of the Spanish empire. The New World provided many Conversos with a new frontier where many thrived, and others continued to practice Jewish observances clandestinely. Amidst the momentous events of 1492, the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were looking to the future. The Crown endorsed Christopher Columbus’ adventure and an uncharted voyage across the Atlantic ocean began. Columbus’ journeys and the subsequent Spanish conquest of the New World included many Conversos who were at various times legally ineligible to travel and settle in the New World. Despite the prohibitions, the history of the Spanish conquest in the Caribbean and eventually Mexico was full of Spanish adventurers, soldiers, and merchants whom all heralded from Converso backgrounds. Some of them were Judaizers, while others were indifferent to their Jewish pasts. We must remind ourselves that we are only highlighting the cases of known Conversos. The latter were adept at hiding, and the falsification of documents and identities often became a requisite for leaving the Peninsula. Spain’s discovery and conquest of the New World provided a venue for Conversos to find refuge and avoid the Inquisitional authority, though this proved short-lived.
©2020 Juan Marcos Gutierrez (P)2021 Juan Marcos Gutierrez