Helen Donoghue reviews Charles Gardner’s latest book.

I always turn first to Charles Gardner’s articles in Heart Newspaper, so I was delighted to find this recent book of his, subtitled “A reminder of God’s priorities for the gospel”.

There have been many books by other authors arguing for joined-up thinking about The Church and Israel, most with solid theological clout. Gardner himself has written at least four. Why another one?

This book is very easy to digest. Each short chapter, of which there are 36, could stand alone like a newspaper article, and is complete in itself.  As a journalist, Gardner knows just how to draw the reader in, and then not let him go until he has been exposed to the argument the author wants to make. His touch is light, and his stories interesting and relevant. It’s up-to-date in current affairs (eg, corona virus and Black Lives Matter).

Gardner’s “To the Jew first” is not a long setting-out of the legal case for Israel’s continued place in the plans of the Judaeo-Christian God. The author has chosen not to spell out the links between chapters. There is a bit of repetition. Some chapters are too short for my taste. The great majority of chapters are satisfying and do make their point successfully. I think the book is best for dipping in to.

Buy it and give it confidently to a Christian you know who needs to start thinking about this whole issue.

Thank you, Charles Gardner.

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Here’s a video conversation with the author: https://www.hephzibahcambridge.org/videos/

Book available via: https://christian-publications-int.com/To_the_Jew_first.html

Publisher: Christian Publications International
ISBN: 978-1-913741-09-9
RRP: £12