Some people may think that Pharisees are only found in the Bible. However, there are "pharisees" in every culture and generation, people who because of their status, education, cultural advantage, or position believe they have earned "the right to be right." I was such a person for the first half of my life. I believed that because of my role as a priest in the Episcopal Church, it was my job to be right so that I could help others avoid being wrong! Then I had a face-to-face confrontation with the one, true living God of the universe, who began to teach me what "being right" was really about. With God's help, during the second half of my life, I have grown from being a self-righteous (and some would say pompous) jerk to becoming a humble servant living in His righteousness!

Some people may think that Pharisees are only found in the Bible. However, there are "pharisees" in every culture and generation, people who because of their status, education, cultural advantage, or position believe they have earned "the right to be right." I was such a person for the first half of my life. I believed that because of my role as a priest in the Episcopal Church, it was my job to be right so that I could help others avoid being wrong! Then I had a face-to-face confrontation with the one, true living God of the universe, who began to teach me what "being right" was really about. With God's help, during the second half of my life, I have grown from being a self-righteous (and some would say pompous) jerk to becoming a humble servant living in His righteousness!

A multidisciplinary appraisal of the Pharisees: who they were, what they taught, and how they’ve been understood and depicted throughout history For centuries, Pharisees have been well known but little understood—due at least in part to their outsized role in the Christian imagination arising from select negative stereotypes based in part on the Gospels. Yet historians see Pharisees as respected teachers and forward-thinking innovators who helped make the Jewish tradition more adaptable to changing circumstances and more egalitarian in practice. Seeking to bridge this gap, the contributors to this volume provide a multidisciplinary appraisal of who the Pharisees actually were, what they believed and taught, and how they have been depicted throughout history. The topics explored within this authoritative resource include: the origins of the Pharisees the meaning of the name “Pharisee” Pharisaic leniency, relative to the temple priesthood, in judicial matters Pharisaic concerns for the Jewish laity Pharisaic purity practices and why they became popular the varying depictions of Pharisaic practices and beliefs in the New Testament Jesus’s relationship to the Pharisees the apostle Paul and his situation within the Pharisaic tradition the question of continuity between the Pharisaic tradition and Rabbinic Judaism the reception history of the Pharisees, including among the rabbis, the church fathers, Rashi, Maimonides, Luther, and Calvin the failures of past scholarship to deal justly with the Pharisees the representations, both positive and negative, of the Pharisees in art, film, passion plays, and Christian educational resources how Christian leaders can and should address the Pharisees in sermons and in Bible studies Following the exploration of these and other topics by a team of internationally renowned scholars, this volume concludes with an address by Pope Francis on correcting the negative stereotypes of Pharisees that have led to antisemitic prejudices and finding resources that “will positively contribute to the relationship between Jews and Christians, in view of an ever more profound and fraternal dialogue.” Contributors: Luca Angelelli, Harold W. Attridge, Vasile Babota, Shaye J. D. Cohen, Philip A. Cunningham, Deborah Forger, Paula Fredriksen, Yair Furstenburg, Massimo Grilli, Susannah Heschel, Angela La Delfa, Amy-Jill Levine, Hermut Löhr, Steve Mason, Eric M. Meyers, Craig E. Morrison, Vered Noam, Henry Pattarumadathil, Adele Reinhartz, Jens Schröter, Joseph Sievers, Matthias Skeb, Abraham Skorka, Günter Stemberger, Christian Stückl, Adela Yarbro Collins, and Randall Zachman.

In the Pharisee In Us All, author Ronald N. Hesser presents an in depth research of the character traits of Pharisees. They challenged Jesus’ ministry on many occasions, while at other times He sought them out for public debate and criticism. Descriptions of these incidents and dialogue compose over one third of the Gospels. Because Jesus had not yet been able to establish His New Covenant Church, He used the errors of the Pharisees to indirectly point out the character He wanted demonstrated in a New Covenant believer. Dr. Hesser examines seventeen areas in Scripture the Pharisees failed in, and he then suggests a positive trait in the Word for Christians to exemplify instead. This book is a must for all Christians, but will especially enlighten leaders in the Body of Christ.

Jeff Saxton exposes several hidden dangers that may be limiting the quality and effectiveness of your spiritual growth in The New Pharisee – one of the most enlightening books available today regarding religious hypocrisy. Discover how to identify key areas in your life that are void of spiritual authenticity, and learn how to take steps toward recovery and removal of the Pharisee within you. The New Pharisee is a clarion call for Christians to see and understand the dangers that lurk within us and to undergo a complete spiritual makeover!

Who Are We to Judge? We have met the Pharisees, and they are...us. That's because we are all slaves to self-righteousness and judgmentalism. It's built into human nature. We set "the standard"--the list of do's and don'ts--to which others must adhere. Then we associate this predetermined behavior with righteousness and declare, "A 'Christian' wouldn't do that." In this book, John Fischer points out that Jesus defined the truth in such a way as to leave no one righteous--not one. We cannot be made right before God by being "better" than anyone else. Instead, by recognizing and laying aside the Pharisee in all of us, we can embrace the grace, gratitude, and joy of the spirit-filled life.