Episodes in Early Modern and Modern Christian-Jewish Relations

Episodes in Early Modern and Modern Christian-Jewish Relations PDF Author: Anita Virga
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443812846
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
The history of the Christian-Jewish relations is full of curious, intense, and occasionally tragic episodes. In the dialectical development of the Western monotheistic religions, Judaism plays the role of the “thesis”, of the origins and background for the rise of Christianity and Islam. With the rise of Christianity, Judaism was progressively marginalized, since it was denied the same essence and validity of Christianity, which grew immensely in terms of spiritual and secular power. Christian scholars since the Middle Ages looked at Judaism as at the “broken staff” in the evolutionist line of religion, to quote the insightful work of the late Frank E. Manuel. At the same time, while re-discovering Judaism, Christian scholars redefined themselves, and Christianity as well. However, while Christianity encompassed many sects and many nations, the relatively weak diversity within Judaism, the religion of a single nation, seemed to hinder its evolution and development. While the intellectual battle was fought in a scholarly way, the emergence of the Christian State condemned the Jews to perpetual discrimination and occasional toleration, until a lay State, Nazi Germany, threatened the survival of the Jewish people. Neutral controversial works became powerful extermination tools when used in the political arena. This volume casts light on some crucial episodes in the long dialectics within the same intellectual and religious framework, touching upon themes such as the conception of time future in the age of Spinoza, the early encounters of Judaism and Christianity in eighteenth-century England, the memory of the Shoah, and the political revolution present in the system of the Jewish Commonwealth. From early to late Modernity, there is a history of friendship and diffidence, mutual understanding and dramatic disagreements, which, even today, largely conditions the Western intellectual world.

Episodes in Early Modern and Modern Christian-Jewish Relations

Episodes in Early Modern and Modern Christian-Jewish Relations PDF Author: Anita Virga
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443812846
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 227

Get Book Here

Book Description
The history of the Christian-Jewish relations is full of curious, intense, and occasionally tragic episodes. In the dialectical development of the Western monotheistic religions, Judaism plays the role of the “thesis”, of the origins and background for the rise of Christianity and Islam. With the rise of Christianity, Judaism was progressively marginalized, since it was denied the same essence and validity of Christianity, which grew immensely in terms of spiritual and secular power. Christian scholars since the Middle Ages looked at Judaism as at the “broken staff” in the evolutionist line of religion, to quote the insightful work of the late Frank E. Manuel. At the same time, while re-discovering Judaism, Christian scholars redefined themselves, and Christianity as well. However, while Christianity encompassed many sects and many nations, the relatively weak diversity within Judaism, the religion of a single nation, seemed to hinder its evolution and development. While the intellectual battle was fought in a scholarly way, the emergence of the Christian State condemned the Jews to perpetual discrimination and occasional toleration, until a lay State, Nazi Germany, threatened the survival of the Jewish people. Neutral controversial works became powerful extermination tools when used in the political arena. This volume casts light on some crucial episodes in the long dialectics within the same intellectual and religious framework, touching upon themes such as the conception of time future in the age of Spinoza, the early encounters of Judaism and Christianity in eighteenth-century England, the memory of the Shoah, and the political revolution present in the system of the Jewish Commonwealth. From early to late Modernity, there is a history of friendship and diffidence, mutual understanding and dramatic disagreements, which, even today, largely conditions the Western intellectual world.

Jewish-Christian Relations

Jewish-Christian Relations PDF Author: Abel Mordechai Bibliowicz
Publisher: Mascarat Publishing
ISBN: 151361648X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description
"I am in fundamental agreement with Bibliowicz's thesis (that the anti-Jewish polemic in the New Testament reflects debates between Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus - not a polemic between Christians and Jews), and with the implications which he has drawn for Christian theology... May this book find a wide readership among people devoted to the cause of the healing of memories between Jews and Christians." —Peter C. Phan, Professor. Chair of Catholic Social Thought, Georgetown University; President of the Catholic Theological Society of America ‘Standing on a brilliant and insightful reconstruction of Paul, and on a quite shocking (but perhaps compelling) reading of Mark—the author offers a number of original and, in some cases, quite compelling theoretical reconstructions of the context and purposes of early Christian texts... a work of sublime moral passion.’ —David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and Director, Center for Theology and Public Life, Mercer University. President-elect American Academy of Religion. Author of Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context ‘An intrepid excursion into the Christian discourse... The quest of an intellectual, a humanist... Interesting and, in fact overwhelming... A timely and honest engagement of the Christian texts, authors, and scholars by a Jewish intellectual.’ —Burton L. Mack, – Professor of Early Christianity, Claremont School of Theology, California; author of A Myth of Innocence: Mark and Christian Origins “There is great merit to Bibliowicz's approach... I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Jewish-Christian dialogue.... Scholars may disagree with a number of Bibliowicz' conclusions, as I do with his interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews. But even in disagreeing, scholars in the field of Jewish-Christian studies, will learn new ways of challenging and thinking about old presumptions." —Eugene J. Fisher, Distinguished Professor of Theology, Saint Leo University. Former staff person for Catholic-Jewish relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Consultor to the Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, member of the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee representing the Holy See. ‘An important work... Sensitive and deeply researched... In the deepest sense, a profound theological work.’ —Clark M. Williamson, Professor. Christian Theological Seminary, Indiana; author of Way of Blessing, Way of Life: A Christian Theology ‘I very much appreciated the depth and scope of the scholarship, accompanied by the kind and humble spirit of the author…it may also prove to be one of the formidable and formative scholarly contributions of the decade for both biblical and historical scholars. ‘ —Michael Thompson, Professor. Religious Studies – Oklahoma State University ‘In methodical and precise fashion Bibliowicz takes the reader through the relevant ancient Christian texts bearing on the question at hand. In so doing, he proposes an intriguing, compelling thesis. The book should prove to be a major voice in the ongoing debate.’ —Brooks Schramm, Professor of Biblical Studies, Lutheran Theological Seminary ‘Impressive work... With this impassioned study available to us, it will no longer be possible for us to ignore the unintended ways the unthinkable came to be and still say ‘we did not know.’’ —Didier Pollefeyt, Professor. Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Belgium; coauthor of Anti-Judaism and the Fourth Gospel and Paul and Judaism ‘An original and plausible claim that goes beyond most of modern scholarship... a solid contribution to the study of anti-Judaism in early Christianity.’ —Joseph B. Tyson, Professor. Religious Studies, Southern Methodist University; author of Marcion and Luke-Acts: A Defining Struggle ‘Well-researched and thorough. Intelligent and thoughtful... accessible, the argumentation compelling.’ —Michele Murray, Professor. Bishop’s University, Canada; author of Playing a Jewish Game: Gentile Christian Judaizing in the First and Second Centuries C.E. ‘A detailed and insightful exploration of the writings of the early Jesus movement... argues convincingly that the origins of Christian anti-Judaism are to be found among early non-Jewish followers of Jesus who were in conflict with Jesus’s disciples and first followers... a must read.’ —Tim Hegedus, Professor of New Testament, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada ‘Bibliowicz uses solid scholarship to engage large and difficult topics while managing to be balanced and clear... invites Christians to walk a deep journey toward truth... and suggests a compelling nuance that the conflicts in the early texts were between Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus, not between Jews and Christians.’ —David L. Coppola, Executive Director, Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding, Sacred Heart University ‘A meticulous study... a mammoth endeavor... goes beyond others in his interpretation of the evidence, tracing and documenting distinctions and tensions in the early Jesus movement.’ —N. A. Beck, Professor of Theology and Classical Languages, Texas Lutheran University; author of Mature Christianity in the 21st Century: The Recognition and Repudiation of the Anti-Jewish Polemic of the New Testament ‘The topics Bibliowicz engages are complex. Although some of his interpretations are controversial... Gentile Christians should set aside apologetical agendas and honestly ponder the challenges put forward by the author.’ —Dale C. Allison, Jr. Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary; author of Constructing Jesus: History, Memory, and Imagination

Christian-Jewish Relations Through the Centuries

Christian-Jewish Relations Through the Centuries PDF Author: Stanley E. Porter
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 9781841270906
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 514

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Book Description
Christian-Jewish relations have had changing fortunes throughout the centuries. Occasionally there has been peace and even mutual understanding, but usually these relations have been ones of tension, often involving recrimination and even violence. This volume addresses a number of the major questions that have been at the heart and the periphery of these tenuous relations through the years. The volume begins with a number of papers discussing relations as Christianity emerged from and defined itself in terms of Judaism. Other papers trace the relations through the intervening years. And a number of papers confront issues that have been at the heart of the troubled twentieth century. In all, these papers address a sensitive yet vital set of issues from a variety of approaches and perspectives, becoming in their own way a part of the ongoing dialogue.

Jewish-Christian Relations

Jewish-Christian Relations PDF Author: Abel Mordechai Bibliowicz
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description
"I am in fundamental agreement with Bibliowicz's thesis (that the anti-Jewish polemic in the New Testament reflects debates between Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus - not a polemic between Christians and Jews), and with the implications which he has drawn for Christian theology... May this book find a wide readership among people devoted to the cause of the healing of memories between Jews and Christians."--Peter C. Phan, Professor. Chair of Catholic Social Thought, Georgetown University; President of the Catholic Theological Society of America'Standing on a brilliant and insightful reconstruction of Paul, and on a quite shocking (but perhaps compelling) reading of Mark--the author offers a number of original and, in some cases, quite compelling theoretical reconstructions of the context and purposes of early Christian texts... a work of sublime moral passion.'--David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and Director, Center for Theology and Public Life, Mercer University. President-elect American Academy of Religion. Author of Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context'An intrepid excursion into the Christian discourse... The quest of an intellectual, a humanist... Interesting and, in fact overwhelming... A timely and honest engagement of the Christian texts, authors, and scholars by a Jewish intellectual.'--Burton L. Mack, - Professor of Early Christianity, Claremont School of Theology, California; author of A Myth of Innocence: Mark and Christian Origins "There is great merit to Bibliowicz's approach... I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Jewish-Christian dialogue.... Scholars may disagree with a number of Bibliowicz' conclusions, as I do with his interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews. But even in disagreeing, scholars in the field of Jewish-Christian studies, will learn new ways of challenging and thinking about old presumptions." --Eugene J. Fisher, Distinguished Professor of Theology, Saint Leo University. Former staff person for Catholic-Jewish relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Consultor to the Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, member of the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee representing the Holy See.'An important work... Sensitive and deeply researched... In the deepest sense, a profound theological work.'--Clark M. Williamson, Professor. Christian Theological Seminary, Indiana; author of Way of Blessing, Way of Life: A Christian Theology'I very much appreciated the depth and scope of the scholarship, accompanied by the kind and humble spirit of the author...it may also prove to be one of the formidable and formative scholarly contributions of the decade for both biblical and historical scholars. '--Michael Thompson, Professor. Religious Studies - Oklahoma State University'In methodical and precise fashion Bibliowicz takes the reader through the relevant ancient Christian texts bearing on the question at hand. In so doing, he proposes an intriguing, compelling thesis. The book should prove to be a major voice in the ongoing debate.'--Brooks Schramm, Professor of Biblical Studies, Lutheran Theological Seminary'Impressive work... With this impassioned study available to us, it will no longer be possible for us to ignore the unintended ways the unthinkable came to be and still say 'we did not know.''--Didier Pollefeyt, Professor. Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Belgium; coauthor of Anti-Judaism and the Fourth Gospel and Paul and Judaism'An original and plausible claim that goes beyond most of modern scholarship... a solid contribution to the study of anti-Judaism in early Christianity.'--Joseph B. Tyson, Professor. Religious Studies, Southern Methodist University; author of Marcion andLuke-Acts: A Defining Struggle

A Bridge to Dialogue

A Bridge to Dialogue PDF Author: John Rousmaniere
Publisher: Paulist Press
ISBN: 9780809132843
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
Intended mainly for the use of church study groups. Surveys the history of Judaism, and of anti-Judaism and antisemitism, from New Testament times to the present. Discusses anti-Jewish passages in the New Testament in their historical context. Describes pogroms and anti-Jewish legislation of the medieval and early modern periods, the intolerance of differences in the Enlightenment, and the antisemitism of late 19th-century Europe. Traces the history of antisemitism in the U.S. (pp. 80-105), commenting that Americans have generally endorsed the rights of Jews as individuals but retained subtle (and at times not so subtle) prejudices against Judaism and Jewry. Describes the Holocaust (pp. 113-123), with emphasis on the German Churches' lack of opposition to Nazism. Concludes that antisemitism still constitutes a danger but that there is hope in the new Christian-Jewish dialogue.

Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism

Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism PDF Author: Jonas Alexis
Publisher: WestBow Press
ISBN: 1449781608
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 643

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Book Description
Our way must be: never knowingly support lies! Having understood where the lies beginstep back from that gangrenous edge! Let us not glue back the flaking scale of the Ideology, not gather back its crumbling bones, nor patch together its decomposing garb, and we will be amazed how swiftly and helplessly the lies will fall away, and that which is destined to be naked will be exposed as such to the world. Alexander Solzhenitsyn Enlightenment writer Voltaire was amazed that twelve fishermen, some of them unlettered, from an obscure place in the world called Galilee, challenged an empire through self-denial and patience and eventually established Christianity. He seriously thought that twelve philosophers or intellectuals, himself included, would do the opposite and crush Christianity. Voltaires self-appointed cheerleaders such as Diderot, Helvitius, dHolbach, DAlembert, Lametrie, and Baron Cloots, among others, tried to do just that and wrote volumes of work trying to tear down the basis of Christianity and erect an edifice of their own. Diderot in particular declared, I would sacrifice myself, perhaps, if I could annihilate forever the notion of God. Cloots wrote, We shall see the heavenly royalty condemned by the revolutionary tribunal of victorious Reason. Lametrie produced Man: A Machine, and an entire French encyclopedia was written between 1751 and 1772 by those philosophers because Christianity, to a large degree, had to go. Voltaire would send letters to his disciples and friends saying, crasez linfme. Rousseau, of course, was a disciple of Voltaire and declared that Voltaires work inspired me. The French Revolution failed. Yet like all significant revolutions before and after that period, the French Revolution indirectly had a theological root which was then a categorical and metaphysical rejection of Logos. That theological substratum has jumped from one era to the next and had and still has historical, political, economic, and spiritual ramifications. This book is about the historical and theological struggle of that conflict, which had its inception at the foot of the cross.

Jacob & Esau

Jacob & Esau PDF Author: Malachi Haim Hacohen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108245498
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 757

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Book Description
Jacob and Esau is a profound new account of two millennia of Jewish European history that, for the first time, integrates the cosmopolitan narrative of the Jewish diaspora with that of traditional Jews and Jewish culture. Malachi Haim Hacohen uses the biblical story of the rival twins, Jacob and Esau, and its subsequent retelling by Christians and Jews throughout the ages as a lens through which to illuminate changing Jewish-Christian relations and the opening and closing of opportunities for Jewish life in Europe. Jacob and Esau tells a new history of a people accustomed for over two-and-a-half millennia to forming relationships, real and imagined, with successive empires but eagerly adapting, in modernity, to the nation-state, and experimenting with both assimilation and Jewish nationalism. In rewriting this history via Jacob and Esau, the book charts two divergent but intersecting Jewish histories that together represent the plurality of Jewish European cultures.

Living Together, Living Apart

Living Together, Living Apart PDF Author: Jonathan Elukin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691162069
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
This book challenges the standard conception of the Middle Ages as a time of persecution for Jews. Jonathan Elukin traces the experience of Jews in Europe from late antiquity through the Renaissance and Reformation, revealing how the pluralism of medieval society allowed Jews to feel part of their local communities despite recurrent expressions of hatred against them. Elukin shows that Jews and Christians coexisted more or less peacefully for much of the Middle Ages, and that the violence directed at Jews was largely isolated and did not undermine their participation in the daily rhythms of European society. The extraordinary picture that emerges is one of Jews living comfortably among their Christian neighbors, working with Christians, and occasionally cultivating lasting friendships even as Christian culture often demonized Jews. As Elukin makes clear, the expulsions of Jews from England, France, Spain, and elsewhere were not the inevitable culmination of persecution, but arose from the religious and political expediencies of particular rulers. He demonstrates that the history of successful Jewish-Christian interaction in the Middle Ages in fact laid the social foundations that gave rise to the Jewish communities of modern Europe. Elukin compels us to rethink our assumptions about this fascinating period in history, offering us a new lens through which to appreciate the rich complexities of the Jewish experience in medieval Christendom.

Connecting the Covenants

Connecting the Covenants PDF Author: David B. Ruderman
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 9780812240160
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
"Ruderman uncovers a fascinating episode in the history of European Jewry and Jewish-Christian intellectual relations. Connecting the Covenants is compelling as both narrative and history."—Matt Goldish, The Ohio State University

Forgotten Origins

Forgotten Origins PDF Author: Juan Marcos Gutierrez
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781543025002
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 560

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Book Description
Many years ago, in a lecture on the creation of the Mishnah, the Orthodox Jewish historian, Rabbi Berel Wein discussed the rise of early Christianity as a historical and theological backdrop. He mentioned that this era is of particular importance to Jews because of the complicated and tragic relationship between Jews and Christians over the centuries. He referred to Joseph Klausner, the famed Jewish professor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who in the earlier part of the 20th century, had authored several works on early Christianity from a Jewish standpoint. The first was titled Jesus of Nazareth. The second was titled From Jesus to Paul. Rabbi Wein considered both books to be exemplary works on the subject. He noted, disappointingly, however, that at the time, most Christians were not interested in reading the Jewish perspectives of Joseph Klausner. Jews, he observed, were not that fascinated by the subject either. Things have changed considerably, however, and the historical relationship between Judaism and Christianity is of increasing importance for both contemporary communities. Even in discussing Jewish Law, as Rabbi Wein noted, the subject of Christianity is not far away in significance. Similarly, for Christians, there is probably not a weekly service that goes by without Israel or the Jewish people being mentioned in some form or fashion.The process of reflection has not been an easy one. Since the third and fourth centuries, the worlds of Judaism and Christianity have increasingly crystallized to such a level of distinction obscuring their shared history and theology. Consequently, people legitimately ask what connections between Judaism and Christianity exist. That was not always the case, and early Christians, as well as Jews, were cognizant of the ties that existed. In past centuries the connections were usually the source of bitter polemics between the two communities. Each community saw itself as the legitimate representative of biblical faith to the exclusion of the other. The relationships deteriorated steadily over time.Rabbi Byron Sherwin of blessed memory, in a lecture at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning and Leadership and in his book Studies in Jewish Theology, noted what he believed to be the great enigma of Christianity. He believed like the medieval and early modern rabbis, Rabbi Menahem Ha-Meiri, Rabbi Abraham Farisol, Rabbi Moses Rivkes, Rabbi Leon de Modena, and Rabbi Jacob Emden and others that Christianity had transformed many non-Jews from paganism to the knowledge of the God of Israel. This was not an endorsement of Christianity for Jews, but recognition of its positive effects for non-Jews.Almost simultaneously, however, the nascent Christian movement also promoted anti-Judaism and then anti-Semitism. Rabbi Berel Wein, in his lecture on the Oral Law, speculated whether significant Jewish opposition to the early followers of Jesus resulted in long-term and negative recollections that became embedded in later Christianity. If that was the case, the ferocity of the Christian reply was ultimately unequaled and repaid Jewish rejection many times over.To discover the forgotten Jewish origins of early Christianity, a series of chapters will lay out the case for the continued Jewish distinctiveness of the early Christian movement composed of Jews in the first century and beyond. Their Jewish identity lay along a wide-ranging continuum. Other sections will also examine those who departed or deviated from these views.