I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of The Scandal of a Divine Messiah for review and I read carefully and slowly, and in my opinion this book is a gift to both the Jewish and Christian worlds, and even more so to the Jewish-Christian, or Messianic, world of which I’m a part. The Scandal of a Divine Messiah is what has been missing in the popular Jewish-Christian conversation. There’s not really any other like it that I know of. There are books that talk about Greek philosophy’s influence on Maimonides and, therefore, Jewish theology. There are books defending the Incarnation of Jesus. There are books about why Jews don’t believe in the Incarnation. …but there are none like this one – that I know of – which delves in-depth into the history, into the theology, and into the philosophy, making explicit connections and demonstrating how ideas developed and why; and then offering solid arguments for the author's position, all with a graciousness and respect for the beliefs and traditions of the “other side” which just demonstrates Brian’s genuine love and admiration for Judaism and Am Yisrael. He goes in-depth into the Greek philosophical context which shaped Maimonides and Kabbalah, but for those whose eyes glaze over at terms like neopythagoreanism and Aristotelian metaphysics like mine do, or are wholly unfamiliar with Kabbalistic terms like Ein Sof and tzimtzum, I think you'll find that Crawford is able to expound the ideas in an understandable and accessible way, going to lengths to provide helpful charts, a glossary, and appendices to guide you through the denser portions of the material. And SO MANY footnotes which now constitute my new reading list. Whether you're a student of theology, a seeker of truth, or someone engaging in interfaith dialogue, The Scandal of a Divine Messiah is a monumental work. It is culturally timely and invaluable as a resource, and I believe it will have a lasting positive impact. Not only is it getting the right conversation started in the right way, but it will serve as a solid reference to go back to and study again and again. I know I'll be re-reading it, studying it, and using it as a resource for years to come.