Jews and Christians are close cousins in the the world of religions. We share a common narrative along with approximately two-thirds of our scriptures. Christians believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, the climax of Israel’s story.

Lyman C. D. Kulathungam calls this connection a shared DNA, a theme he explores in God’s Quest. Some background information is needed to fully appreciate this work. In 2012, Kulathungam published a book entitled The Quest where he explored the goals of world religions—Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism among others. He was faithful to the worldview of each religion, explaining in their own terms their central quest and how Jesus relates to that quest. Judaism and Christianity were omitted from the list.

You could consider God’s Quest the two missing chapters from The Quest. These two religions deserved their own book because Judaism and Christianity shift the quest paradigm. If most world religions seek some sense of transcendence, Judaism and Christianity speak of the transcendent God searching for them.

In God’s Quest, Kulathungam surveys the shared Jewish and Christian story from the Garden of Eden until the eschaton. He shows how Jews and Christians tell their common story with different emphases, and at times, with straight-out disagreement. Despite the disagreement, however, that shared DNA as objects of God’s quest remains.

The greatest strength of this book is Kulathungam’s knowledge and careful use of insight from various world religions to illuminate his points. A good example of this is in his chapter on the fall, “The Blunder in the Bounty” (32–46). He begins by exploring ancient Babylonian and Hindu creation stories to illustrate the uniqueness of the Judeo-Christian narrative.

At times Kulathungam follows side-trails into specific topics such as the relationship between evolution and faith or a defense of glossolalia. While these digressions do not always directly support the thesis of the book, the detours are always thought-provoking.

In a book that surveys the entire narrative ark of humanity, some eras have to be passed over. Still, I was surprised that Kulathungam skipped from the Tower of Babel directly to the “Silent Revolution” (65–95) which preceded the birth of Jesus. It strikes me that the dynamic of exile and return (that fundamental tension in the Old Testament) is echoed in the Christian movement from cross to resurrection and the already/not yet of the Kingdom.

This omission paradoxically highlights the strength of this work. Kulathungam’s thesis is that “the DNA that binds these two communities [Jews and Christians] is God’s relentless quest to relate with and free them, especially when they are in desperate situations” (xvii). This thesis is a fruitful theme for reflection beyond the chapters of this book.

In the end, Kulathungam has completed his work on world religions, and has provided a helpful way for Jews and Christians to explore their common heritage—their shared DNA. This united witness to God’s quest is more important than ever in our day.

In our world today, full of so many calamities, it is natural that many doubt and even dismiss God’s care. It is here that we must remind ourselves that God has come to rescue people, even in the darkest of times. (217)

Kulathungam, Lyman C. D. God’s Quest: The DNA of the Judeo-Christian Community. Wipf & Stock, 2019.