Latest Lecture
This is the second lecture marking the special series on “Faith, Theology, and Community” commemorating 60 years of
the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel
Some Jewish Roots of Christian Prayers in the Newer Testament with
Special Emphasis on the Paternoster:
The Sacred Name, the Divine Will, and the Kingdom of God
Prof. Dr. Brad H. Young
Professor Emeritus Oral Roberts University
26 November 2025 20:00 IST via ZOOM
(13:00 EST; 19:00 CET)
the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel
Some Jewish Roots of Christian Prayers in the Newer Testament with
Special Emphasis on the Paternoster:
The Sacred Name, the Divine Will, and the Kingdom of God
Prof. Dr. Brad H. Young
Professor Emeritus Oral Roberts University
26 November 2025 20:00 IST via ZOOM
(13:00 EST; 19:00 CET)
You are warmly invited to celebrate the Fraternity’s 60th anniversary series with a special lecture by our President, exploring some Jewish roots of Christian prayers.
As the lecturer shares: “Christian prayers in the Newer Testament have deep roots in Jewish soil during the Second Temple Period. Familiar and much-loved prayers of the Jewish people, the Kaddish, the Amidah, the Sanctification of the Divine name, and the Shema —as well as— earlier Jewish Prayer formulations from the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Sacred Textual Traditions give fresh meaning and application to the prayers of the early Christians in the Newer Testament. The associative and comparative approach for the study of sacred liturgy and prayers within their historical environment promises to deepen awareness and understanding within both faith communities. Concise, powerful, to-the-point—the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray is much better understood in the light of Jewish faith and experience. The authentic Jewish setting in life connects Jesus to his people, their faith experience, and their community concerns. Jewish prayers, worship, and practical life experience breathe fresh meaning into the time-worn words of the Lord’s Prayer. The first-century perspective of Jesus’ teachings on the kingdom pervades the application of the prayer in daily life.”
Dr. Brad H. Young is the serving President of the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel. He is lead translator of the Hebrew Heritage Bible Newer Testament (2021) translation and commentary project. He is the emeritus professor of Judaic Christian Studies in Biblical Literature at the Graduate School of Theology, Oral Roberts University. He is the author of widely read books, Jesus the Jewish Theologian, Paul the Jewish Theologian, The Parables: Jewish Interpretation and Christian Tradition, and Meet the Rabbis. Brad received his PhD in the Comparative Religions Department from the Hebrew University in 1986. Paulist Press published an updated version of Brad’s doctorate, Jesus and His Jewish Parables Rediscovering the Roots of Jesus’ Teachings (1989) in their Theological Enquiries series in Studies in Contemporary Biblical and Theological Problems.
The Rev. Dr. Petra Heldt, Director ETRFI
As the lecturer shares: “Christian prayers in the Newer Testament have deep roots in Jewish soil during the Second Temple Period. Familiar and much-loved prayers of the Jewish people, the Kaddish, the Amidah, the Sanctification of the Divine name, and the Shema —as well as— earlier Jewish Prayer formulations from the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Sacred Textual Traditions give fresh meaning and application to the prayers of the early Christians in the Newer Testament. The associative and comparative approach for the study of sacred liturgy and prayers within their historical environment promises to deepen awareness and understanding within both faith communities. Concise, powerful, to-the-point—the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray is much better understood in the light of Jewish faith and experience. The authentic Jewish setting in life connects Jesus to his people, their faith experience, and their community concerns. Jewish prayers, worship, and practical life experience breathe fresh meaning into the time-worn words of the Lord’s Prayer. The first-century perspective of Jesus’ teachings on the kingdom pervades the application of the prayer in daily life.”
Dr. Brad H. Young is the serving President of the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel. He is lead translator of the Hebrew Heritage Bible Newer Testament (2021) translation and commentary project. He is the emeritus professor of Judaic Christian Studies in Biblical Literature at the Graduate School of Theology, Oral Roberts University. He is the author of widely read books, Jesus the Jewish Theologian, Paul the Jewish Theologian, The Parables: Jewish Interpretation and Christian Tradition, and Meet the Rabbis. Brad received his PhD in the Comparative Religions Department from the Hebrew University in 1986. Paulist Press published an updated version of Brad’s doctorate, Jesus and His Jewish Parables Rediscovering the Roots of Jesus’ Teachings (1989) in their Theological Enquiries series in Studies in Contemporary Biblical and Theological Problems.
The Rev. Dr. Petra Heldt, Director ETRFI
