Jewish-Christian Dialogue: A Jewish Justification

Abstract

David Novak's philosophically formulated theological argument for Jewish-Christian dialogue (p. ix) seeks a between the two monotheisms which constitute the main story line of Western religion. And he finds it, in that old American standard, the ethic. I recommend Novak's rigorously argued, learned, and insightful book to readers of all faiths, and to those of no faith at all. I propose to support that recommendation by describing precisely its important and truly singular aspiration. What distinguishes Novak's discovery from that in every politician's Fourth of July speech? Unlike the politician-and many clergy-Novak is not about either civic unity in a pluralistic society or interreligious fellow-feeling. Nor does Novak subscribe to the ever more common belief-both popular and academic-that these two faiths (and others) are essentially the same or really about the same thing. Religions, or at least Judaism, are for Novak neither the varied expressions of a universal inner experience nor functionally equivalent expressions of countless subjective affections. Because Novak is a traditional Jewish theologian who accepts the full authority of Halakhah as God's permanent will for Jews, none of that will do. Since interreligious conversation is natural to such universalistic accounts of belief, Novak cuts himself off from some obvious, available justifications. He burns another bridge behind him by insisting that there is no Judeo-Christian theology from which one might derive a common morality. We should, then, sit up and take notice when he proposes nevertheless to arrive at the border he spies, especially since the moder psychologistic turn in religion has broken down the common, if not all objective, morality. Novak's is also no recoverist project, and that adds to its allure. Yes, Jews and Christians have always possessed a largely common morality-the sanctity of innocent life, traditional sexual morality, the prohibition of blasphemy-yet they have not historically concluded it established common ground. Put differently, a common morality has hitherto done little to bring Jews and Christians into dialogue. Novak distinguishes as well the historically common situation of Jewish communities within Christian polities, where arrangements for civil peace and economic cooperation were in fact