The Gifts of the Jews

review by

Mike Nappa

The Gifts of the Jews

by Thomas Cahill

Nan A. Talese/Doubleday

Thomas Cahill’s book, The Gifts of the Jews, is an exceptionally well written glimpse into the cultural roots of Jewish history that benefits greatly from the biblical text to gain insight into Jewish thought and faith.

That said, Cahill’s book is also terribly insulting, intellectually arrogant, and overly dismissive of the Bible text on which it’s based.

Tracing the history of the Jewish people in great detail, Cahill shows he’s certainly done his homework. With fascinating prose, he chronicles the story of ancient peoples, of Abraham’s life of faith, of Moses and the Exodus, through the era of Israel’s kings and final exile into captivity. All along, he demonstrates a qualified respect for the Jewish people, pointing out their lasting legacies: a monotheistic view of God, a cohesive world view, and a vocabulary of words that includes terms like freedom, faith, justice, and hope.

Unfortunately, Cahill’s liberal bias against anything more than an intellectual faith overshadows his otherwise excellent work. Calling anyone who would actually believe the Bible a victim of “self-delusion,” Cahill proclaims that “we must reject certain parts of the Bible as untrustworthy of a God we would be willing to believe in.” With thoughtless arrogance, Cahill sprinkles throughout the rest of the book similar unproved catchphrases insultingly presented as fact. Unfortunately, that makes for distasteful reading and provides plenty of opportunity for misinformation.

So, if you’re looking for an interesting, though decidedly anti-Christian commentary on Jewish history, you may enjoy Cahill’s work. If you’re of the opinion Christians are both thinkers and believers, you’ll probably prefer to concentrate your studies elsewhere.

FAMILYFANS RATING: C

--MN