Shalom Talk

Dr. Stokes has specialized in issues of identity and marginality in religious groups. He write his dissertation on the Messianic Jewish Movement, an example of a hybrid and marginalized group. He remains a sympathetic participant/observer in the Messianic Jewish world, with much to say about what the Jewish, Christian, and Messianic Jewish worlds stand to learn from each other. 

The show also examines Dr, Stokes as a clergyman, and his church in Anaheim Hills, The Disciple Center, which seeks from a Christian viewpoint to learn what the Jewish community has to teach about community development, without seeking to be mere imitators of Judaism or to lose Christian identity. Host Rabbi Stuart Dauermann says of Dr. Stokes, "He is a bright man whose distinguished career arose from the wreckage of a chaotic childhood and morass of life difficulties.  His brilliance and integration is especially impressive when viewed against these factors."

You can read more about Dr. Stokes at www.disciplecenter.com and www.hbrucestokes.com.

This episode is a good example of Jewish-Christian relations and how it can be improved in our world today. Jews and Christians can learn a great deal from Dr. Stokes. His perspective on Jewish scripture and Messianic synagogues helps move many of us past stereotypes and to understand a marginalized community.