I’m starting to hear back from folks who have finished reading my new book The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of Catholic Christianity. Some readers are people that I know, some of them are people that I have never met, but heard about the book via Twitter, a friend, etc. So far, (insert sigh of relief), everyone likes it and has positive things to say (insert knock on wood).

Some have asked about the “next book.” Please remember that The Crucified Rabbi is actually the first book in a Trilogy. The second book is already finished, but not yet published. The third book is almost finished (needs two more chapters). The Trilogy is called “Origins of Catholic Christianity.” Here are the three books:

1. The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of Catholic Christianity
2. The Catholic Perspective on Paul: The Apostolic Origins of Catholic Christianity

3. The Eternal City: Rome and the Origins of Catholic Christianity

   

This first book (Crucified Rabbi) examines the Jewish origins of Catholicism and the third book (Eternal City) examines the Gentile origins of Catholicism, especially the role of the city of Rome in salvation history. The middle book on Saint Paul (Catholic Perspective on Paul) is the bridge between the two. Paul was a Jewish rabbi and he became the Apostle to the Gentiles. Moreover, I perceive the book of Acts as the linchpin: Acts begins in Jerusalem and ends in Rome. This is the early Christian ecclesiastical narrative and I hope to remind Christians that their origins are both Jewish and Roman—consequently Christianity is best expressed in Roman Catholicism with its Jewish inheritance of liturgy, sacrifice, art, priesthood, and ritual. That’s the trilogy thesis in a nutshell.

The Trilogy is a New (really Old) Perspective on Paul with an emphasis on Jewish culture and theology AND pagan Roman culture and theology. Paul found both as playing a role in the redemptive economy of God. It’s not simply Hegelian (“Judaism” + “Greek culture and philosophy” = “Christianity”). Instead it’s a biblical theology that tries to account for all the details.

The first book on Judaism is already published (Oct 2009), the Paul book is due for 2010, and the last book on Rome will be published in 2011 (God willing).

The Paul book is complete and it is in the editorial stages. The Rome book is almost finished. I’m working on the final two chapters. One of these chapters on the theological significance of Constantine’s conversion; and the final chapter on the true eternal City of God a la Saint Augustine.

I hope in the end to demonstrate that only Catholic Christianity follows the trajectory of God’s providential plan in history from Moses to Augustine. In brief, I wish to show that Moses’ religion of tabernacle-sacrifice flows into the Roman Church and on into eternity.

Last of all, the books are written at that popular level. My wife has read all three books and thinks that the third book on Rome (Eternal City) is the best. My favorite book is the second book (Catholic Perspective on Paul). I’m hoping that the second book will be out by the end of next summer.