Jewish-Christian Dialogue Research Articles

Alan L. Berger and David Patterson, with David P. Gushee, John T. Pawlikowski, and John K. Roth. Jewish-Christian Dialogue: Drawing Honey from the Rock

No abstract is available.

David G. Dalin and Matthew Levering, eds. John Paul II and the Jewish People: A Jewish-Christian Dialogue

No abstract is available.

The Impact of Christian-Jewish Dialogue on Catholic Biblical Studies

No abstract is available.

Moving the Christian-Jewish Dialogue to a New Level: Can it Happen?

No abstract is available.

Christ in the Works of Two Jewish Artists: When Art is Interreligious Dialogue

Painter Marc Chagall and sculptor Jacob Epstein, both of whom were from orthodox Jewish backgrounds, each created a number of works of Christ. Although in Epstein's case, and only later in his career, some of these works were commissioned, both Chagall's and Epstein's works of Christ were self-driven. Chagall described himself as having been "haunted" by the face of Christ in his early years and his several crucifixion paintings were of a Jesus who was not the Christ of Christian dogma, but a "Jewish Jesus" who summed up the suffering of the Jewish people. Epstein similarly created a Christ that was beyond the conventions of the time, through his predilection for using primitive forms in his work. During his life-time, many of Epstein's Christs were met with resistance, but the more visionary critics understood the importance of his work in freeing the image of Christ from the matrix of convention and opening new possibilities of theological perception and understanding. The work of both Chagall and Epstein, who were contemporaries, is examined in relation to Jewish modernism, a movement ongoing in their formative years and before, in which Jewish intellectuals, writers and artists were engaged in efforts to work-out the relationship of Judaism to Jesus and the surrounding Christian world. The atrocities of the Holocaust effectively ended this dialogue. The potential contributions of the thought and creative works of this pre-World War II interreligious interchange to contemporary Jewish-Christian dialogue are discussed.

Liturgy in the Light of Jewish-Christian Dialogue

No abstract is available.

Considering the Other’s Tikkun: A Response to Liturgy in the Light of Jewish-Christian Dialogue

No abstract is available.

A Holy Land Context for <em>Nostra Aetate</em>

This paper will focus on the Catholic Church in Israel’s experience of and reflections on Jewish-Christian dialogue after Nostra Aetate. The dialogue from this perspective is unique for reasons tied to the context of the dialogue. Firstly, of all the countries of the world, only in Israel are Christians a minority in a Jewish majority. Secondly, Catholics and Jews live in a state defined as Jewish. Thirdly, as most Catholics in Israel are Arabs, dialogue with Jews is also dialogue within the context of a national conflict, between Israelis and Palestinians. Religion has come to play an important role in this conflict. Fourthly, many Jews and Christians in Israel do not have their roots in the Western Christian world but rather in the Middle Eastern Muslim world, which cannot be ignored in the dialogue. All these factors make the interpretation and implementation of section 4 of Nostra Aetate and other guidelines on the dialogue particularly interesting. What perspectives on and challenges to the dialogue between Jews and Christians are discernible in the ongoing experience of the Israeli Jewish-Palestinian Christian dialogue today? Two appendices provide the full texts of recent documents from the Catholic Church in the region.

Response to: Jewish-Christian Dialogue about Covenant

No abstract is available.

Jewish-Christian Dialogue and the Theology of Religions

From a historical point of view, the new understanding of the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people was the catalyst for the Second Vatican Council to elaborate a declaration on the non-Christian religions. This is not a mere accident. The Jewish-Christian relationship does, even from a systematic point of view, play a paradigmatic, critical and corrective function for a Christian theology of religions. It has a character sui generis, for Judaism constitutes the Other within Christian self-identity. The Jewish-Christian relationship helps to formulate the meaning of the particular in the discussion of the universal Christian claim of truth and salvation when facing other religions. Furthermore, it prevents a theology of religion from sliding into abstract, non-historical and purely speculative definitions. Normally, Christology and especially the theology of Incarnation guarantees it, but they have to be linked themselves back to the messianic idea of Judaism and the history of salvation where the Church itself recognizes the unrevoked covenant between God and Israel. Only a theology of religions that recognizes the lasting challenge of the Jewish faith for Christian identity will have overcome anti-Judaism at its roots.

Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik''s ‘Confrontation’: A Reassessment

Responding to a recent symposium on Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik's 1964 article on the propriety of Christian-Jewish dialogue, this essay begins by assessing several arguments put forth by Soloveitchik. These include the incommensurability of religious faith, the risks interreligious dialogue presents to the Jewish minority, the dangers of syncretism, and the ability to separate neatly the sacred and the profane. The article then proceeds to discuss the nature of Catholic-Jewish today, and concludes with thoughts about the future of Christian and Jewish interaction.

After 40 Years, <em>Nostra Aetate</em>'s Christological Implications

In reflecting on the Christological statements in Nostra Aetate, §4 and on their implications, both the strongest link between Christians and Jews and their deepest difference have become apparent to Christian theology. The essential Christian conviction that the crucified and risen Jesus Christ is the Messiah and beyond that the Incarnate Son of God is not only denied by Jews, but is incomprehensible for them. Jewish objections have caused Christian theology to ask whether it is possible for it to say something positive as regards Jewish hope in the Messiah, a hope which also says “no” to Christians’ faith in Christ. The Pontifical Biblical Commission picked up on this question in a positive way in its text of the year 2001, The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible. In addition, Jewish criticism of the Christian idea of the Incarnation, not least in discussions of shituf ("association"), has brought a new awareness of the importance for Christian-Jewish dialogue of the teaching of the Council of Chalcedon on the preservation of the character of each nature unified in Christ.

The 1947 Seelisberg Conference: The Foundation of the Jewish-Christian Dialogue

On the 60th Anniversary of the 1947 International Emergency Conference on Anti-Semitism in Seelisberg, Switzerland, this article provides an overview and analysis of: historical events leading up to this conference; the working process and results of the conference with a focus on the specific work of its various commissions, especially that of Commission III on the Role of the Churches and the Ten Points (Theses) of Seelisberg. Looking back from the present-day vantage point, it comments on the effects of its work over the past several decades, and closes with a brief summary of the 60th Anniversary Jewish-Christian scholarly conference hosted at Lasalle-Haus in Bad Schonbrunn, Switzerland -including the 2007 joint declaration by the Swiss Bishops Conference, the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities. An Addendum to the article provides a photograph and a list of the 1947 conference officers and commission participants.

"And after the fire a soft murmuring sound ..." The Abiding Significance of Judaism for Christian Identity

Since the Second World War the pioneer phase of Jewish-Christian dialogue has achieved a relatively trusting relationship between both parties and major theological issues have been reflected on and dealt with. With the retirement of this generation of pioneers, while also reviewing history under the influence of the shock of the Shoah, we have to consider a change of paradigm at this time. First of all, a wider public should be involved in the dialogue in the hope of learning to fundamentally construct identity through dialogue. Learnings from the various phases of all of history should be kept in mind. Assuming an active relationship not only with Islam but also with any other interreligious dialogue is of paramount importance in a global world. On the concrete level, a redefinition of monotheism is needed in response to the associations being made between monotheism and violence. Further, the history of salvation has to be re-defined so that not only Jews and Christians are perceived as being in a generative relationship as “people of God” but so that the whole history of the world is perceived in a similar theological manner. A spirituality of action and an understanding of identity as co-constituted by the Other are valuable contributions of the Jewish-Christian dialogue to world culture.

Jewish-Christian Dialogue and the Life of Wisdom: Engagements with the Theology of David Novak by Matthew Levering

BOOK REVIEWS 336 was the universal Church. . . . It was a local Church because it was in a place, and indeed in one place, and there was no other place where the Church could be said to be” (122). This comment is curious, as it seems to espouse an overly sociological view of the Church. For, the Church was indeed in other “places” on the day of Pentecost, namely, in heaven (the Church victorious), in purgatory (the Church suffering), and, in fact, in all of humanity, at least if we follow Aquinas, who affirms that the entire human family belongs potentially to the Church (see STh III, q. 8, a. 3). But these are minor quibbles only and they more or less fade against the backdrop of a superb work that covers an enormous amount of theological terrain. This is a work of high-level theology written by a first-class theologian. PAUL GONDREAU Providence College Providence, Rhode Island Jewish-Christian Dialogue and the Life of Wisdom: Engagements with the Theology of David Novak. By MATTHEW LEVERING. London: Continuum, 2010. Pp. 208. $120.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-1-4411-3364-9. Matthew Levering’s Jewish-Christian Dialogue and the Life of Wisdom represents one of the finest examples of authentic Jewish-Christian dialogue available today. Levering’s treatment is not only nuanced and sensitive, but also courageous particularlyin articulatingChristianity’s commitments and in offering thoughtful but penetrating challenges and criticisms where Levering thinks they are necessary. As the subtitle suggests, the book enters the fray of JewishChristian dialogue by way of engagement with David Novak’s theology. As Novak is one of the most important contemporary Jewish theologians, and one who has long been involved with Jewish-Christian dialogue, his work provides important insights for Levering as he seeks to push Jewish-Christian dialogue further in a constructive way. That Novak writes the foreword (ix-xii) to this book, and a laudatory foreword at that, is a telling sign already of Levering’s success in engaging Jewish thought. Unlike so many other Christian theologians involved in Jewish-Christian dialogue, Levering eschews both the Scylla of a harsh triumphalist supersessionism and the Charybdis of the denial that Christianity supersedes Judaism in any sense. Levering follows his interlocutor Novak in insisting that a mild form of supersessionism is necessary for Christianity, one in which Jesus does not negate the Torah but rather fulfills it. On at least three occasions (full BOOK REVIEWS 337 quotation on p.16, quoted in part on pp. 132 and 153 n. 147), Levering quotes Novak’s provocative challenge to Christians who refuse to espouse any form of even mild supersessionism: “If Christianity does not regard itself as going beyond Judaism, why should Christians not become Jews? It is always a ready possibility. Where else could you possibly find the Lord God of Israel?” Levering begins his book with a brief introduction, “In the Footsteps of Rosenzweig and Buber” (1-11), wherein he provides a succinct overview of the book’s contents, and also explains what he hopes to accomplish by engaging Novak’s works, namely, to provide an “open philosophical exegesis of Scripture” (1-2). Levering makes clear the goal of such dialogue, namely, a “deeper appropriation of truth,” which, although always open to the conversion of one’s dialogue partner, does not have conversion as its primary end (5). He concludes by laying out what he sees to be the import of his book’s conversation: “What is at stake in the present book is thus not only whether Novak’s Jewish theology instructs Christians by its resources and conclusions, or whether Christians and Jews can dialogue constructively about the human creature’s stance vis-à-vis the Creator. At stake also is whether any avowedly Jewish or Christian understanding of human life is worthy of public consideration” (10). The first chapter (12-46) addresses the controversial topics of “Supersessionismand Messianic Judaism.” Levering’s overarching purpose in this chapter is to examine the question of whether or not there exists any real possibility ofauthenticJewish-Christian theological dialogue. Levering makes the case that such dialogue is in fact possible and he describes how Novak’s theology facilitates it. He...

Jewish-Christian Dialogue: Drawing Honey from the Rock

Jewish-Christian Dialogue: Drawing Honey from the Rock

Jewish-Christian Dialogue: Drawing Honey from the Rock

Jewish-Christian Dialogue: Drawing Honey from the Rock

The Line through the Heart: Natural Law as Fact, Theory, and Sign of Contradiction by J. Budziszewski

BOOK REVIEWS 340 of helpful quotations and point the reader in many useful directions for further reading on topics related to this discussion. It is clear from this book that Novak and Levering share many of the same theological concerns; the reader witnesses a student ofMaimonides debatingwith a student of Aquinas. Levering does not attempt to use Novak’s thought to show the superiority of Christianity over Judaism; rather, he draws upon Novak’s theology, and upon Jewish traditions, as a theological source to help move the discussion forward. Despite the ease of conversation between Novak and Levering, one wonders how well Levering’s Christian theological dialogue would fare in dialogue with other Jewish theologians who differ in significant ways from Novak. Despite this concern, the reader can ultimately agree with Novak’s sentiments in the foreword, namely, that what Levering has accomplished in this book is “authentic theological dialogue” (x). This book is a must read for any scholar interested in Jewish-Christian dialogue. JEFFREY L. MORROW Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology South Orange, New Jersey The Line through the Heart: Natural Law as Fact, Theory, and Sign of Contradiction. By J. Budziszewski. Wilmington, Del.: ISI Books, 2009. Pp. 241. $18.00 (paper). ISBN 978-161017003-1. Jay Budziszewski, professor of government and philosophy at the University of Texas, has produced an outstanding volume on natural law with The Line through the Heart. Although it is a collection of previously published essays, the book is united around two principal themes: moral law and political law. Budziszewski appropriately defends the connection between the two by reminding readers that “politics is a branch of the study of ethics” (xi). With this assertion, the author places himself squarely within the classical natural-law tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas, whose influence is evident throughout the book. The book’s ten chapters are evenly divided between the two themes. The first five chapters concern the moral law, the latter five take up various contemporary issues in political law and society. The two parts are connected, of course. The conclusions of the essays on moral law naturally contribute to Budziszewski’s view of the issues he treats in political-law chapters. The first two chapters (“Natural Law as Fact, as Theory, and as Sign of Contradiction” and “The Second Tablet Project,” respectively) offer the basic principles of natural law that guide Budziszewski’s thought. Nothing in these chapters contributes new material to the complex discussion on natural law. But BOOK REVIEWS 341 what is worth the reader’s attention is the way in which the author presents the material, which clearly has been refined from his years of teaching undergraduate and graduate students. In the first chapter, Budziszewski argues that natural law must be approached as a fact rather than as a theory. He cautions against treating natural law as a meta-theory, and encourages his readers to focus on the data of reality (3). The human being is a person who knows reality, and who is inclined to the truth of things even if acknowledging that truth is difficult. Following Aquinas, Budziszewski repeatedly insists throughout the book that the human person spontaneously intuits the fundamental principles of reality, and, therefore, he intuits the first principles of the natural law even if the application of these principles in concrete matters is often obscured. Here, Budziszewski moves beyond typical natural-law lawyers by incorporating the revealed truth that man labors under the effects of original sin. No discussion of natural law or, in fact, of moral law and politics can forget the effects of original sin on the human person. Specifically, living with a fallen human nature means that even though we may know the truths of reality, we refuse to accept those truths and more easily work to deceive ourselves. “The consequence of the Fall is that we don’t want to hear of natural law” (18). This is why the so-called “Second Tablet” project, which seeks to ground moral norms on pure reason is bound to fail in Budziszewski’s view. Ignoring the human person’s knowledge of God (whether the spontaneous natural awareness that a Creator exists or the revealed truths...

Back to the Ice Age? The Roman Catholic Church and Judaism

Until well into the twentieth century, Jews and Christians had no mutual basis for discourse. The Christian–Jewish dialogue and the rapprochement between the Holy See and the State of Israel are owed in essence to feelings of shame regarding the Shoah. The Second Vatican Council and the pontificate of John Paul II signified substantial breakthroughs. Since then, though, the sense of guilt has eased, and the Roman Catholic Church's awareness of the injustice of its role as fellow traveller to, and henchman of, the Third Reich has diminished. Under the current Pope, Benedict XVI, the relationship between Jews and Catholics has noticeably deteriorated. After five years of his pontificate, Joseph Ratzinger has lost a great deal of trust, and not only among Jews.

Feminist Theology and the Holocaust

The Holocaust demands a theological response. This essay considers that which has been presented by feminist theologians, of both Christian and Jewish faiths. In some cases, the response has been to further promote anti-Judaism in the fight against patriarchy, sustaining and perpetuating the portrayal of the Jew as Other, and even as Nazi. Conversely, other reactions have given rise to a fruitful Jewish-Christian dialogue which contests such a response, and replaces it with a constructive and healing interpretation of teaching and events. A juxtaposition is presented between the anti-Judaic works of Christian feminist theologians such as Christa Mulack and Gerda Weiler, and the reaction and dialogue that have arisen between Jewish theologians, such as Susannah Heschel and Melissa Raphael, and their Christian counterparts, among whom are Rosemary Radford Ruether and Katherina von Kellenbach.