Bible Introductions

Our Father Abraham

Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

SECOND EDITION Marvin R. Wilson

Although the roots of Christianity run deep into Hebrew soil, many Christians remain regrettably uninformed about the rich Jewish heritage of the church. Our Father Abraham delineates the vital link between Judaism and Christianity, exemplified by the common ancestry of the two faiths traceable back to Abraham. Marvin Wilson calls Christians to reexamine their Semitic heritage to regain a more authentically biblical understanding of what they believe and practice.

The second edition of Our Father Abraham features a new preface, an expanded bibliography of recent relevant works, and two new chapters: one that discusses Jewish-Christian relations after the Holocaust and another that reflects on Wilson’s own fifty-plus-year career as an evangelical Christian deeply committed to interfaith dialogue. As Christians and Jews feel a growing need for mutual support in an increasingly secular Western world, Wilson’s widely acclaimed book will offer encouragement and wise guidance toward this worthy end.

“Magisterial. This book is born of scholarship by a faithful Christian who is in love with the Jewish people and the God of Israel.”

— RABBI YEHIEL E. POUPKO

Rabbinic Scholar at the Jewish Federation of Chicago

“The timeliness of Marv Wilson’s book was evident by its initial reception and growing audience over the years. Three decades later, this second edition shows the timelessness of both the subject and his insights.” — JAMES WHITMAN

Center for Judaic-Christian Studies

Marvin R. Wilson, a leading scholar on Christian-Jewish relations, is the Harold J. Ockenga Professor Emeritus of Biblical and Theological Studies at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts, where he taught for over fifty years. He also wrote Exploring Our Hebraic Heritage—a sequel to Our Father Abraham—and served as primary scholar of the award-winning national television documentary Jews & Christians: A Journey of Faith, based on Our Father Abraham.

978-0-8028-7733-8 • Paperback • 467 pages • $29.99 US • $39.99 CAN • £23.99 UK

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Father Abraham’s Many Children

The Bible in a World of Religious Difference Tyler D. Mayfield

Foreword by Eboo Patel Reframing religious diversity through the stories of Cain, Ishmael, and Esau

The way we read the Bible matters for the way we engage the pluralistic world around us. For instance, if we understand the book of Genesis as narrowly focused on primary characters like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, we’ll miss the larger story and end up with the impression that God only cares about those who are “chosen.” In fact, the narratives of marginalized biblical characters reveal that God protects and provides for them also. What might this mean for Christians living in a world of religious difference today?

In Father Abraham’s Many Children, Tyler Mayfield reflects on the stories of three of the most significant “other brothers” in the Bible—namely, on God’s continued engagement with Cain after he murders Abel, Ishmael’s circumcision as a sign of God’s covenant, and Esau’s reconciliation with Jacob. From these stories, Mayfield draws out a more generous theology of religious diversity, so that Christians might be better equipped to authentically love their neighbors of multiple faith traditions—as God loves, and has always loved, all humanity.

“Through his rich and deep reading of the biblical stories of Cain, Ishmael, and Esau, Tyler Mayfield helps us see God, the Bible, our neighbors, and our neighbors’ religions differently. In today’s world, that’s a wonderful and needed accomplishment!” — BRIAN D. McLAREN

author of Faith after Doubt

“I love Tyler D. Mayfield’s book because he illuminates parallel parts of the Bible. In beautiful clear prose, he shows how the call and command of Christian scripture helps people connect being both faithful to the Bible and contributing citizens in a diverse nation and world.” — EBOO PATEL

from the foreword

Tyler D. Mayfield is the A. B. Rhodes Professor of Old Testament and director of the Grawemeyer Award in Religion at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. His other books include A Guide to Bible Basics and Unto Us a Child Is Born: Isaiah, Advent, and Our Jewish Neighbors.

978-0-8028-7945-5 • Paperback • 160 pages • $17.99 US • $23.99 CAN • £13.99 UK

AVAILABLE JANUARY 2022

A True Story of Child Slavery and Surviving the Holocaust Steven W. Brallier

with Joel N. Lohr and Lynn G. Beck The remarkable life story of Mitka Kalinski, who survived seven years of enslavement—while still a child—to a Nazi officer during and after World War II

Mitka Kalinski had never revealed his past to anyone. Not even to his wife or his four children.

But in 1981, three decades after it all ended, Mitka finally broke his silence about the horrors he endured during the Holocaust and in the years immediately afterward: not only German concentration camps and sadistic medical experiments but also seven years of enslavement in the household of a Nazi officer, “Iron” Gustav Dörr.

Having been orphaned before the war, Mitka did not know his origins or even his name. Torture, slavery, and a false name stripped him of his identity entirely. Thus, when he immigrated to the United States in 1951, Mitka seized the opportunity to bury his past and forge a new life. He lived the American life in all its fullness and moved to Nevada with his beloved wife, Adrienne, and their children. But the secret he carried became an increasingly heavy burden, preventing wholeness and healing.

This is Mitka’s account of facing the past, confronting his captors, connecting with lost relatives, and finding peace in the rediscovery of his origins. For Mitka, this also meant reclaiming his Jewish heritage—a journey that gave him a new sense of purpose and freedom from the lingering effects of trauma that had filled his life to that point. By the end, Mitka’s Secret is less a story of survival and more one of redemption and transformation—from hidden suffering to abundant joy.

“Mitka’s remarkable story harrowingly demonstrates the horrors and personal repercussions of the Holocaust.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“For us to make ‘Never Again’ a reality when it comes to horrors like the Holocaust, we must read and remember inspiring stories like this. I recommend this book to all who want a more intimate knowledge of human history and to be moved by a story of hope and survival.”

— EBOO PATEL

author of Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise

“Mitka’s Secret is very different from any Holocaust book I have ever read. The horrors of the first part are very painful to read, but after that it becomes a fascinating tale of how one can recover from the most horrendous experiences when you have a loving partner by your side. It also has a beautiful ending when the hero of the story finds his roots, his family, and his faith.” — EVA SCHLOSS

Holocaust survivor, humanitarian, and speaker stepsister of Anne Frank and author of Eva’s Story

“A most powerful life story of a child survivor of the Holocaust and his way from a children’s home in Ukraine to America.” — JOHANNES-DIETER STEINERT

author of Holocaust und Zwangsarbeit, winner of the 2020 Yad Vashem International Book Prize for Holocaust Research

“Mitka’s life is the ‘journey of a soul’ filled with tragedy yet transformative enough to inspire and seek the truth.” — RABBI ANCHELLE PERL

Chabad of Mineola, New York

“This is the riveting account of a rare survivor of the brutal Nazi regime. It is also a story of thriving in a new land, building a life and a family, and then seeking to come to terms with a haunting past. Mitka’s Secret will stay with you, trouble you, move you, and give you hope.” — JOHN E. PHELAN JR.

author of Separated Siblings: An Evangelical Understanding of Jews and Judaism 978-0-8028-7916-5 • Paperback • 325 pages • $19.99 US • $26.99 CAN • £15.99 UK

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Steven W. Brallier had a long career in the entertainment industry as a promoter, agent, and writer, which exposed him to many people with amazing stories. None was more compelling than Mitka’s. Almost immediately a deep trust developed between Steve and the Kalinskis, a trust that provided the essential foundation for the powerful story that is Mitka’s Secret.

Joel N. Lohr is president of Hartford Seminary, a leading interfaith graduate school. He is an award-winning author, scholar of religion, and passionate leader in interreligious relations and higher education.

Lynn G. Beck has served in faculty and leadership positions at various universities. She is the author or coauthor of eight books and a number of articles and has had leadership roles on national, state, and local boards.

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