Heroic Collective Action: A People's Blessing?

James Bernauer, Sj

doi:10.6017/scjr.v6i1.1910

Abstract

Is the tendency to think of heroism as the activity of an individual rather than of a collective merely a matter of prejudice? Perhaps the European revolutions of 1989 and the Arab Spring of 2011 will foster more careful scrutiny of that assumption. Are the heroic figures so often featured in journalistic as well as historical accounts only individuals who are witnesses to a communal transformation and empowerment? Will a greater appreciation for heroic collective action promote a more nuanced perspective on the development of Jewish-Christian relations? The author proposes a shift of focus to communal heroism through an examination of four examples: the Yad Vashem project of recognizing the "Righteous among the Nations"; the Hungarian Revolution; the historical development of religious toleration; and, finally, the place that the Holocaust has taken on in contemporary reflection.

Highlights

Is contemporary reflection on heroism out of balance, placing far too much emphasis on the activity of individuals rather than on that of groups or communities? And is that distorting perspective all too often imposed on the development of Jewish-Christian relations as well? In viewing the progress of the contemporary dialogue, do we automatically think of figures such as Pope John XXIII and Jules Isaac rather than the widespread networks that have transformed the conversation between Jews and Christians? Certainly such an approach is understandable, for the last century saw more than its fair share of powerful leaders who might have fostered an excessive emphasis on individuals
In trying to respond to these questions, I became aware of how much my own attitude to action and change has been shaped by revolutions, even before those of 1989: there was the 1956 Hungarian revolution, the bloody photos from which frightened me as a youngster; the civil rights, women’s and anti-war movements of the fifties, sixties and seventies; the general cultural upheavals of the nineteen sixties; the Roman Catholic Revolution carried forward by the Vatican Council; the Iranian Revolution which I followed during my student years in Paris where Michel Foucault was an important commentator on that event; the Philippine Revolution of 1986; and, the Arab revolutions of 2011
The two thinkers upon whom I most rely in reflecting about historical change perhaps do not ease this problem because Hannah Arendt was sharply criticized for her view of the Hungarian Revolution and Michel Foucault was mocked for his writings on the Iranian revolution.[1]

Summary

Introduction

Is contemporary reflection on heroism out of balance, placing far too much emphasis on the activity of individuals rather than on that of groups or communities? And is that distorting perspective all too often imposed on the development of Jewish-Christian relations as well? In viewing the progress of the contemporary dialogue, do we automatically think of figures such as Pope John XXIII and Jules Isaac rather than the widespread networks that have transformed the conversation between Jews and Christians? Certainly such an approach is understandable, for the last century saw more than its fair share of powerful leaders who might have fostered an excessive emphasis on individuals.

Results

Conclusion