wfn.org | Episcopalians: Jews and Christians seek to move from 'contention to cooperation'

[dmack@episcopalchurch.org]

April 4, 2003

2003-073

Episcopalians: Jews and Christians seek to move from 'contention 
to cooperation'

by James Solheim

(ENS) "We are living in the midst of a historic transformation 
in Jewish-Christian relations," said Rabbi Eugene Korn, director 
of interfaith affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, in his 
introduction to an April 3 panel discussion on "Jewish-Christian 
Relations in the New Millenium: From Contention to Cooperation" 
at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. The panel, linked by 
satellite with six other sites, was part of a series presented 
by the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life.

"We have progressed quite a bit" since the theological debate 
between the two religions was described in the 13th century as a 
"religious duel to the death," Korn said. Today there is growing 
recognition that both Christians and Jews are "sincere 
believers, faithful to their traditions. And now we realize the 
power of religion for good and bad," especially in the wake of 
the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Introducing the panelists--Cardinal Avery Dulles, Presiding 
Bishop Frank T. Griswold of the Episcopal Church and Rabbi 
Norman Lamm, president of Yeshiva University--Korn said that the 
panel would explore "how to honestly confront our past, what we 
have in common, what divides us and how to make the future 
better and more hopefulmoving beyond a painful and tortured 
past."

Virus of anti-Semitism

In response to a question on what has influenced relations 
between Judaism and Christianity, Griswold said, "The Holocaust 
has obliged Christians to look very seriously at their own, 
possibly unacknowledged, anti-Semitism, present in a quiet but 
real way in some of our liturgical texts and in the ways we have 
deported ourselves in relation to the Jewish experience as in 
some way superceding the Jewish experience." 

Griswold said that "the Holocaust created in Christians a 
self-scrutiny that has lead to repentance in the ways we have 
been complicit in patterns of anti-Semitism. The establishment 
of the State of Israel has given Jews a sense of place and sense 
of identity and out of that renewed sense of confidence a level 
of conversation is possible because, in many places, the Jewish 
community no longer feels threatened by the Christian 
communityso our conversation can be deeper and truer and more 
explicit."

Lamm said that the "pope gets a great deal of credit--for 
Vatican II's bringing the Catholic world to a recognition of 
Judaism as legitimate in its own way, his recognition of Israel, 
his visit to the Wailing Wall and a Roman synagogue. These are 
all gestures heavy with symbolism." Yet he quickly added that he 
fears that despite all the improvement of relations "what's 
happening now in Europe and the Christian West--the virulent 
anti-Zionism, anti-Israel attitudes, which to a large measure is 
a cover-up for anti-Semitism--is like a virus that has been 
dormant a long time."

Korn also expressed gratitude that the pope "has spoken of 
Israel not only as a political entity but recognizes the 
spiritual meaning of the Jews returning to the homeland for the 
Christian community." In light of enormous controversy and 
debate over extremely complex Israeli-Palestinian relations, he 
believes that "sometimes legitimate criticism of Israel crosses 
the line into anti-Semitism, particularly apparent in Europe. 
What can we do to increase understanding and reduce the disease 
or the cancer?"

Offspring of Abraham

Dulles said that attempts by the Vatican to improve relations 
with Judaism is part of a larger effort to improve relationships 
with many groups. Recognizing that the "polemics of the past 
have been harmful," Vatican II sought a more positive 
relationship despite the differences. "We must realize more 
fully that diversity is not a bad thing," he said.

Griswold quoted the Jewish scholar Abraham Heschel who said that 
"pluralism is the will of God," adding that he "sometimes  
wonders about God's imagination creating three siblings--Jews, 
Christians and Muslims. Do we in some way exist to remind one 
another that none of us has the absolute corner on God's 
self-disclosure? God's own desire is that we be not just 
tolerant, but recognize each other as offspring of Abraham."

Lamm said that he hesitates to use the term pluralism. "If 
pluralism means that everyone is right and no one is wrong it 
reduces itself to a kind of relativism that misses the grandeur 
of each religion and its own tradition. Pluralism means being 
human, civilized, loving," he said.

Korn warned that "notions of pluralism and tolerance are 
sometimes masks for apathy and indifference. The great challenge 
is to have absolute conviction and fidelity to our traditions 
and yet still find space for the other, with respect and 
dignity--seeing each other as human beings created in the image 
of God."

Korn said that	religious appreciation of pluralism is a radical 
and rather new concept. "How do we see the other as somehow a 
catalyst or agent for affirming our own faith? How do we see the 
other as a representative of God's world that deepens our own 
faith tradition?" he asked.

Challenge of secularism

"Exposure to the authenticity and integrity of one another's 
worship traditions can do a tremendous amount," said Griswold. 
During a Jewish service in Jerusalem he realized that Torah 
represents God's loving disclosure. "I could see a passion and 
love that transformed it from words into relationship," he said. 
"That's who Christ is for me. By experiencing this Jewish 
reality my own reality is expanded."

"Hostility among religions is the principal cause of 
secularism," said Dulles. "People think of religion as divisive. 
It doesn't have to be, it can be unitive." Griswold added that 
"one of the sadnesses in our own day is how religion is used to 
reinforce division and hatreds, perpetuating cycles of mistrust 
and violence."

"Because religion is so very important, touching the destiny of 
man, therefore it can be corrupted and hostilities can result 
that are not necessary," said Lamm. "The patterns that shape us 
can also become idols that we worship, quite apart from where 
they are meant to lead us," said Griswold. 

The issue of conversion

Announcing that he was ready to "throw a monkey wrench into the 
happy conversation," Korn said, "One of the most difficult 
issues between Jews and Christians over the ages has been the 
issue of conversion. The traditional doctrine in Christianity 
says that prior to the birth of Jesus the Jewish people had a 
living covenant with God and Christianity came to replace 
Judaism and render it obsolete." 

Dulles agreed that it was "a sensitive question. We have a 
desire that people more and more come to recognize Jesus as the 
son of God--but that does not mean an effort to force people 
into belief through moral or physical coercion. That doesn't 
work. That's why Vatican II's Decree on Religious Freedom said 
that faith had to be something voluntary and free."

"When Paul says that the call of Israel is irrevocable, I take 
that very seriously," said Griswold. "He says clearly that the 
promises of God are irrevocable. That says to me that Judaism is 
a living faith and Christians make a mistake in seeing Israel 
solely in a New Testament context and ignoring the rabbinic 
tradition which is so rich and full." 

Living covenant

"Everyone agrees that Judaism is not superceded because that 
would mean there is no Judaism," said Lamm. "That would be 
committing spiritual suicide." The issue of conversion becomes 
important when "the consequences of those beliefs affect our 
lives." He noted that history shows that " most conversions have 
been fraught with violence and deception. That goes beyond 
dialogue. We believe we have a covenant with God."

Dulles agreed that "the covenant with Judaism is a living thing 
and God's love for Israel is a very special one. He has not 
retracted it. Yet Christ meant to say that everything in 
Judaism points to him and he is the fulfillment of the law, not 
the abolition."

Griswold said that "through the person of Jesus I can call the 
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob my God, instead of seeing it as 
a movement from Judaism toward Christianity, a door has been 
opened to a whole tradition, a whole experience of God that 
would otherwise be inaccessible to me through the person of 
Jesus who was a Jew. I can read the story of Exodus as somehow 
my story too. "

Poison memories

Korn said that there is a paradox at work in the relation 
between Jews and Christians. Roman Catholics have no mission to 
Jews "and that doesn't undermine the cardinal's conviction about 
the universality of Jesus." The great 12th century rabbi, 
Maimonides, was a harsh critic yet somehow regarded Christianity 
as "a positive agent in history for the recognition of God. This 
is a marvelous spiritual paradox we all must live with."

Korn read Micah's beautiful vision of the Messianic era and 
asked, "What can we do as religious leaders to somehow bring 
history closer to this vision? To what extent do we do it 
separately and in cooperation?" 

Griswold said that in all our traditions the three siblings of 
Abraham speak of "the God of compassion and justice--God's own 
view of how things ought to be. There is an incredible 
opportunity to make common cause in repair of the 
worldsupporting and strengthening one another out of the 
integrity of our traditions." 

Dulles said that the pope talks about "the healing of memories. 
The memories of the past poison our relationships with one 
another. We must confront the past honestly and express 
repentance and sorrow for what has gone wrong and  confess that 
until we begin to acquire a common history. We must go through 
that painful process."

Common threads

Looking for some specific and concrete ways to move toward a 
vision of peace and tolerance, it helps to take a look at what 
is happening on the local level, Griswold suggested. In marriage 
between Christians and Jews, for example, "both become clearer 
about their tradition but also common threads that could be 
shared." Lamm said that his experience with intermarried couples 
was that "rarely does it result in a deepening of religious 
experience or observance. It tends toward syncretism, watering 
down differences" and a loss of identity, damaging to both 
religions. 

Does the Muslim call for jihad bring Jews and Christians 
together in any way, came the question. "Yes, out of shared 
anxiety and fear," said Griswold. "Our experience after 9-11 
creates a climate of anxiety that draws us together--not out of 
our best emotions. It's important to be careful not to blanket 
all of Islam with an epithet like terrorist."

But we must avoid acting aggressive out of fear, warned Dulles. 
"If we could get rid of our fears we could build peace more 
successfully."

Lamm said that the situation opens the potential for what he 
called "a shared victimhood" in facing the potential violence. 
"It's terribly sad that whatever voices of moderation in the 
Islamic world, very few are heard. Islam is a great religious 
tradition but where do we hear a voice from an imam speaking to 
his own people, saying this idea of violence and hatred of 
others may be a strand in Islam but it's not an important one?"

"It's very easy for someone with few principles to be tolerant 
of others who have no principles," said Lamm. "But to have a 
vision of what you consider the truth and terribly important, 
that is sacred and forms your life, your whole essence, and yet 
not to be intolerant of those who have different points of 
view--that's an achievement, a spiritual achievement."

------

--James Solheim is director of the Episcopal News Service.