Timo Vasko

From the Creation to the Kingdom of God: The Concept of God's Revelation by the Reform Jew Schalom Ben-chorin in Dialogues with Christianity and Islam Timo Vasko

What is the Jewish concept of God?s revelation like? How does a Jew see the concepts or revelation of Christianity and Islam? Do Christians understand that Judaism is not a thing of the past and that Judaism is not solely the preliminary stage of Christianity? How does a Jew perceive God?s judgement and grace today? How does God?s dispensation work in the life of a human being? The Reform Jew writer and theologian Schalom Ben-Chorin, was born in Germany, but lived in Jerusalem since 1935 until his death in 1999, based his theological thinking on God?s revelation. It begins with God?s creation of the world and its ultimate goal is the Kingdom of God in this world. The city of Jerusalem and the cooperation between supporters of the monotheistic religions i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have a significant position in Ben-Chorin?s theology in realising the Kingdom of God. The present study also brings up the philosophical and theological prerequisites for Ben-Chorin?s concept of revelation, describes how Ben-Chorin interprets the Biblia Hebraica and furthermore, what-kind of task of witnessing the Jews have for the whole world.