Contemporary Catholic Approaches to the People, Land and State of Israel. Edited by Gavin D’Costa and Faydra L. Shapiro

Abstract

Recognizing the multidimensional challenge of the Israeli–Palestinian situation, the editors (lay Catholic and Orthodox Israeli academics) led a June 2018 conference in Jerusalem where Catholic scholars presented papers before Jewish and Arab respondents. Many revised their papers in light of questions and discussions. The book contains twelve essays in four sections. Sections include essays written around the themes of “Listening Again to Scripture,” “Mining the Tradition,” and “Seeking Justice and Peace,” with a final section containing two Jewish responses. The biblical heritage is examined from the perspective of the Second Vatican Council, its Declaration on the Church’s Relation to Non-Christian Religions (Nostra aetate), and recent developments in the Catholic teaching authority. Lawrence Feingold (USA) sees the Jewish return to the Land as a sign pointing to the fulfillment of history with the coming of the Messiah, but without reference to certain Evangelical Protestant interpretations. Etienne Vetö (Rome) explores the place of Palestinians (Christian and Muslim) in the Land under Jewish control. He argues that “what is at stake is a purified or transfigured conception of the land … which includes a call to share the land” (p. 23). Christian Rutishauser SJ (Switzerland) discusses the Land and State of Israel with a sketch from the Hebrew Bible to the present, pointing to the final days. He draws attention to major questions to be discussed by Catholics in contact with Jewish scholars, especially with regard to Israel. Gavin D’Costa (England) discusses the biblical background for a Catholic view of Jews in the State of Israel. Palestinians have a right to a state/homeland as well. David Neuhaus (Israel–Palestine) offers a decades-long personal experience that bridges the dichotomies of life in Israel and the West Bank. All should “be at home and enjoy citizenship in a political entity that guarantees the common good” (p. 190).