God Is A Verb

I spoke with a friend in Oklahoma last week who recommended a particular book for me. He said that as he read it, it had "me written all over it". I was unsure if I should be flattered or not but as my friend explained the book, I could tell he was very excited about what it had to say. So, I went down to my local Barnes and Nobles and picked up a copy.

The book's title, in its entirety, is called: God is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism by Rabbi David A. Cooper. While I have only read a few chapters, the book is wonderful! Hearing the stories of this particular ancient mysticism is both facinating and eye-opening. And, it really begs the question of Old Testament interpretation from a strictly word-for-word reading. Rabbi Cooper tells about the Tulmud, the Mishnah, and Midrash and how all these tools and methods have been employed to interpret the Old Testament that Jewish folk use- and conversely, Christians seldom do. As a result, few Christians understand the Old Testament as historical Jews do.

You can see then why a Christian might say, "Why don't the Jews get it?" When, afterall, the Jews get a different message than what Christians do. I am thinking it'd do me well to better understand the Old Testament through the lens of those to whom it was written rather from a perspective where I am trying to imagine how a Jewish person might think.

Hmm.. let me say it another way. When I was a student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, my Old Testament class was taught by a Christian PhD student who more than often, interpreted the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament. While he tried not to do so (and he talked about the dangers of doing so), he still couldn't help but make the comparisons that would later be "fulfilled" in the New Testament.

At Union Theological Seminary where I later transfered, my Old Testament professor was a Rabbi who taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary across the street. I learned how to interpret (or rather was taught to interpret, I wonder how much I actually remember) Old Testamen texts. I am thinking this perspective both honors the traditions of my ancestors while hearing the messages in the Old Testament in a different and unique way (the way, perhaps, they were meant to be interpreted).

So my point is, this book, "God is a Verb" is facinating and fun and brings me back to my Old Testament class. It's filled with wonderful stories, keen interpretations, mediatations, and insights. I can't wait to continue reading it (yes, its been designated as my official "subway book", where I only read it on the subway).