One of the more important books I have ever read is R. Kendall Soulen. The God of Israel and Christian Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996. In this book he discusses the place of Israel in Christian theology. When I made a survey over so-called Systematic Theologies (Protestant and Catholic), I recognised that that place almost was almost non-existent. It is more than surprising that a religion which indubitably does have its roots in Judaism, has succeded to almost delete Israel…

It is clear that Ps.-Barnabas (my name of Ep. Barn.) has a radically supersessionist view, and Soulen shows how and why this trend was strengthened and got its breakthrough with the Apologetes. In short, he argues that in the theological logic, which was effective against the Greek counterparts in the ‘dialogue’, a creation-fall-redemption scheme was used, which did not ‘need’ Abraham. Please read and react. I am fairly convinced that Soulen is right.

A theology which does not have physical Israel as an integrated part, will, I think, lack a vital connection with the sap of the Olive tree. It also fails to give the protection that a brother ought to give to his brother in need. Instead of a hermenutics of exclusion, a hermeneutics of association is needed. For God has not rejected his people, and no believer in the Messiah has access to Him without the family of Abraham, whose son the Messiah is.