Who are the Messianic Jews? What do they believe and practice? What is the Jewish community's reaction to Messianic Judaism? In this pioneering study, Dan Cohn-Sherbok traces the development of the Messianic movement from ancient time to its transformation after World War II. Focusing on the nature of Messianic Judaism today, the volume continues with a detailed examination of Messianic practices, including the celebration of the Sabbath, Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, festivals of joy, and life cycle events. The book then goes on to consider the place of Messianic Judaism within the contemporary Jewish community. Messianic Jews contend that they are fulfilled as Jews and that Messianic Judaism is a legitimate interpretation of the Jewish faith; its critics, however, argue that Messianic Jews and dangerous and deceptive. In the final section the author confronts this contentious issue and outlines three alternative models for understanding the relationship between Messianic Judaism and the modern Jewish world
