From Publishers Weekly
No religious group has angered American Jews more than Southern Baptists, whose leaders have repeatedly launched initiatives to convert Jews to Christianity. Howe, a practicing Southern Baptist, had no such intention when she joined a Jewish philosophy study group. Soon her interest in Judaism led her to Orthodox, Conservative and Reform services, to holy day celebrations and a Torah retreat, and to Hasidic and Jewish Renewal study groups. As she befriended Jews of all persuasions, from fervent Hasids to a vibrant female rabbi, Howe found herself in a "love affair with Judaism," reveling in its dedication to study, passion for God, sense of divine mystery and "wild and joyful" celebrations. Though the book is based on Howe's personal experience, it is also rich in description and reflection as she looks at women in Judaism, historic and contemporary Hasidism and her own expanding view of God. In the end, in spite of hoping that she has a Jewish soul, Howe remains a Baptist: "Were I to become a Jew, I feel I'd have to throw myself heart and soul into that faith tradition, when what I want in my life right now is to throw myself heart and soul into experiencing God in as many ways as I can." Can a Baptist successfully portray contemporary Jewish life and worship? Evangelical Christian editor John Wilson, in the foreword, and Reform Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, in the afterword, believe Howe has done so, and each recommends the book to his own community. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
No religious group has angered American Jews more than Southern Baptists, whose leaders have repeatedly launched initiatives to convert Jews to Christianity. Howe, a practicing Southern Baptist, had no such intention when she joined a Jewish philosophy study group. Soon her interest in Judaism led her to Orthodox, Conservative and Reform services, to holy day celebrations and a Torah retreat, and to Hasidic and Jewish Renewal study groups. As she befriended Jews of all persuasions, from fervent Hasids to a vibrant female rabbi, Howe found herself in a "love affair with Judaism," revealing in its dedication to study, passion for God, sense of divine mystery and "wild and joyful" celebrations. Though the book is based on Howe's personal experience, it is also rich in description and reflection as she looks at women in Judaism, historic and contemporary Hasidism and her own expanding view of God. In the end, in spite of hoping that she has a Jewish soul, Howe remains a Baptist: "Were I to become a Jew, I feel I'd have to throw myself heart and soul into that faith tradition, when what I want in my life right now is to throw myself heart and soul into experiencing God in as many ways as I can." Can a Baptist successfully portray contemporary Jewish life and worship? Evangelical Christian editor John Wilson, in the forward, and Reform Rabbi Lawrence Kushner,m in the afterword, believe Howe has done so, and each recommends the book to his own community. (Aug.) (Publishers Weekly, May 26, 2003)


Review
"...it is also rich in description and reflection as she looks at women in Judaism, historic and contemporary Hasidism." (Publishers Weekly, May 26, 2003)


Book Description
Like most Christians, Mary Blye Howe was uninformed about Jewish ritual and tradition. To satisfy her curiosity she joined a Jewish study group held in the home of a Hasidic rabbi. A Baptist Among the Jews is Howe's first-person account of her eye-opening experience of studying with that welcoming group and how this experience led her to a deeper, richer relationship with her God. While learning about the traditions of Judaism and studying the Torah, Howe discovered a new world of worship and ritual that expanded her experience to include several different Jewish groups, among them Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. She reveled in the joys of arguing with God (even though God always wins), synagogue-hopping on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, and dancing with a sefer torah through the streets of Dallas. Page after page, we join Howe on her religious quest and discover how her once-narrow concept of God has expanded with her ability to read the scriptures and understand this new faith. Howe's profound and transforming experiences helped her develop a new sense of worship— one that eschews spectatorship in favor of participation.


From the Inside Flap
Many Christians— from Evangelical to mainline Protestant— are struggling to understand the Jewish roots of their faith. A Baptist Among the Jews tells the powerful, highly personal story of one woman's journey to reclaim those roots.

Like most Christians, Mary Blye Howe was uninformed about Jewish ritual and tradition. To satisfy her curiosity she joined a Jewish study group held in the home of a Hasidic rabbi. A Baptist Among the Jews is Howe's first-person account of her eye-opening experience of studying with that welcoming group and how this experience led her to a deeper, richer relationship with her God. While learning about the traditions of Judaism and studying the Torah, Howe discovered a new world of worship and ritual that expanded her experience to include several different Jewish groups, among them Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. She reveled in the joys of arguing with God (even though God always wins), synagogue-hopping on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, and dancing with a sefer torah through the streets of Dallas. Page after page, we join Howe on her religious quest and discover how her once-narrow concept of God has expanded with her ability to read the scriptures and understand this new faith. Howe's profound and transforming experiences helped her develop a new sense of worship— one that eschews spectatorship in favor of participation.

With exceptional grace and clarity, Mary Blye Howe recounts her tale of discovery and in doing so gives us all— whether Christian or Jew— a story of hope, reconciliation, and mutual respect and admiration across traditions of faith.


From the Back Cover
"At the heart of A Baptist Among the Jews is a willingness to enter into fellowship. Thanks both to Mary Blye Howe's chutzpah and to the warmth and generosity of her Jewish hosts, we too are invited . . . . I hope some bright young independent film director will be alert to the potential of Howe's story, which could become another My Big Fat Greek Wedding." — From the Foreword by John Wilson, editor, Christianity Today and Books and Culture "The great Jewish theologian Martin Buber once wisely observed that religions are like houses of worship and that you can only look through the windows from the outside of those other than your own. Mary Blye Howe comes disturbingly close to proving him wrong. She is clearly a Baptist but she has peered through the windows of so many different Jewish prayer halls that she has acquired a remarkably clear vision of American Judaism. Or, to put it another way, Ms. Howe seems simply to have done it all and got it right . . . . this book is kosher." — From the Afterword by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, author, Honey from the Rock "This book does not so much explain Judaism as much as it provides a 'feel' as to what it means to enter into Judaism as an outsider. You will get a taste of the mystical and joyful excitement of our Jewish friends that will carry you way beyond any understanding of Judaism as some kind of legalistic religion. As a man with a Jewish son-in-law, I found this book most helpful." — Tony Campolo, Eastern University, St. Davids, PA; author, Following Jesus Without Embarrassing God and 20 Hot Potatoes Christians Are Afraid to Touch "A fascinating journey of religious and spiritual identity— Howe shows us that all people have a powerful connection with one another when they search for meaning and purpose." — Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar, regional director, Great Lakes Council and Chicago Federation of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations; author, God Whispers: Stories of the Soul, Lessons of the Heart and The Dance of the Dolphin: Finding Prayer, Perspective, and Meaning in the Stories of Our Lives


About the Author
Mary Blye Howe is a cradle Southern Baptist who has found a warm, welcoming second home among several Jewish congregations in the Dallas, Texas, area. She has published over 100 articles in more than 60 diverse periodicals, including Entrepreneur, the Dallas Morning News, and the Chicago Tribune.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Many Christians -- from Evangelical to mainline Protestant -- are struggling to understand the Jewish roots of their faith. A Baptist Among the Jews tells the powerful, highly personal story of one woman's journey to reclaim those roots. Like most Christians, Mary Blye Howe was uninformed about Jewish ritual and tradition. To satisfy her curiosity she joined a Jewish study group held in the home of a Hasidic rabbi. A Baptist Among the Jews is Howe's first-person account of her eye-opening experience of studying with that welcoming group and how this experience led her to a deeper, richer relationship with her God. While learning about the traditions of Judaism and studying the Torah, Howe discovered a new world of worship and ritual that expanded her experience to include several different Jewish groups, among them Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. She reveled in the joys of arguing with God (even though God always wins), synagogue-hopping on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, and dancing with a sefer Torah through the streets of Dallas. Page after page, we join Howe on her religious quest and discover how her oncenarrow concept of God has expanded with her ability to read the scriptures and understand this new faith. Howe's profound and transforming experiences helped her develop a new sense of worship -- one that eschews spectatorship in favor of participation. With exceptional grace and clarity, Mary Blye Howe recounts her tale of discovery and in doing so gives us all -- whether Christian or Jew -- a story of hope, reconciliation, and mutual respect and admiration across traditions of faith.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly