Editorial

Dialogue between Christians and Jews is more important than ever

Antisemitism is on the rise here in the United States, in Europe and all over the world. The attitudes and actions that fuel this despicable form of racism and intolerance range from subtle and barely imperceptible to blatant and horrifying. How is it possible that so many people have forgotten, or never learned, the lessons of the Nazi Holocaust’s unspeakable inhumanity?

The rise of antisemitism in the current environment is a stark reminder that evil is never completely banished from human hearts and minds. Every new generation must confront racism and intolerance, and unless we remain vigilant, the vicious ideologies that promote hatred and injustice against those who are perceived to be outside the societal mainstream gradually take over.

The dialogue between Christians and Jews encouraged by the Second Vatican Council’s document “Nostra Aetate” is essential to combatting the resurgence of antisemitism. We accept that our two faiths worship the one God and share the teachings contained in the Old Testament, even if we interpret them differently. The purpose of Jewish-Christian dialogue is to better understand one another out of respect for the religious beliefs and moral precepts that we have in common.

After his resignation from the papacy, Pope Benedict XVI offered some poignant reflections on the state of Jewish-Christian dialogue. Although some of his statements were controversial, his main arguments were defended by at least one prominent rabbi, Arie Folger, the chief rabbi of the Jewish worshiping community in Vienna, Austria.

The articles by the retired pope and the renowned rabbi, along with their subsequent correspondence, have been published in What is Christianity: The Last Writings of Benedict XVI. What clearly emerges from this particular example of Jewish-Christian dialogue is that we clearly have much more in common than the things that separate us. Also evident is the fundamental importance of our ability to stand together and speak with one voice on the serious moral and political issues of our time.

Regarding the end result of dialogue between Jews and Christians, Pope Benedict wrote, “As far as is humanly foreseeable, this dialogue will never lead to the unity of the two interpretations [Judaism and Christianity] within human history. This unity is reserved to God at the end of history.”

The pope had no doubt that Jews and Christians would one day be united in the heavenly Jerusalem, but he believed that we should not expect this, or even work toward it, in the realm of human history. This means that we must accept the fact that we are fellow believers in the one God of Abraham who seek him by different paths. It also means that the differences between our faith traditions should be respected, even reverenced, and not rejected or ridiculed.

We Christians have violated this principle many times—sometimes grievously—through the years. As Rabbi Folger wrote to Pope Benedict, “The crimes of the past cannot be forgotten; even though they are now considered contrary to Christian principles, they were committed by Christians in the name of Christianity.”

We who believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and who seek to follow him, have been given an urgent responsibility to uphold the principles that are outlined in “Nostra Aetate” and in the teachings of recent popes, including Pope Francis. We need to reverence and respect our Jewish sisters and brothers because they remain chosen people of God whose mission is to give witness to him to the whole world.

There is perhaps no better place to put into practice the virtues of mutual respect and collaboration between people who disagree with one another than in the relationship between Christians and Jews. The fact that we do not agree on fundamental aspects of religious belief and practice does not make us enemies. On the contrary, what we share in common should make us stronger and more tolerant of one another.

The vile antisemitism that confronts us today is a wake-up call. Either we take seriously the fraternal relationship that exists between Christians and Jews, or we risk being overwhelmed by the forces of racist ideology and intolerance that increasingly threaten us.

While it is true that our history is marked by failure, it is also a firmly held belief shared by Jews and Christians that our God is loving and merciful and that our only hope is in him.

—Daniel Conway