Generalizing Jewish history as a “consistent reaction to Christians,” Chief Rabbi David Rosen composed a sketch of the history of Jewish-Christian relations in a lecture on campus yesterday.
Rosen spoke on the Jewish-Christian relationship in the final Nostra Ætate lecture of the year. Rosen is the President of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, which represents world Jewry in its relations with other world religions.
In his speech, Rosen emphasized the importance of practice in the Jewish tradition as opposed to the importance of doctrine displayed in other religions.
“Judaism, as opposed to its sister Abrahamic traditions, is not theological; it is not sophisticated theologically,” he said.
According to Rosen, this essential difference has shaped the Jewish response to Christians historically and to the changes Catholic practice spurred by the Second Vatican Council more recently. Although Vatican II made documental changes to the way Catholics and many Christians at large viewed Jews, it was not until Pope John Paul II visited the Holy Land in 2000 that Jews, especially Jews in Israel, began to see the possibility for change, he said.
Rosen said he believed that the Catholic Church often serves as the model for change in the Christian community as a whole. Though Judeo-Christian relations have had a turbulent past, he said, he has hope for future interactions.
“Pope John Paul II’s visual advertising was more powerful than documents, speeches, and homilies. The absence of such a dramatization had prevented the Jewish people, especially those inside Israel, from being able to see changes from Nostra Ætate,” he said, referring to the Church’s adopted position.
In Rosen’s view, Jews have always been reacting to Christians’ actions, and have based their views of Christians on how Christians have treated them. For Rosen, the Pope’s visit demonstrated to the Jewish people that the Catholic community was not only willing to change its doctrine, but was also willing to change its behavior. Rosen is particularly hopeful of the prospect of Jewish-Christian relations within the United States, noting that “where you have a vibrant Jewish community alongside a vibrant Catholic community, especially where they are both minorities, you have the perfect conditions for the internalization of these behavioral changes.”
Theology professor Leo Lefebure noted Rosen’s stress on the focus of practice in the Jewish tradition in both its original split from Christianity and later during Vatican II. Lefebure also noted Rosen’s optimism, saying that “he is one of the real voices of hope from the Holy Land.”
Though few students attended the lecture, several were there to learn more about the relationship between Jews and Christians; one was writing a thesis paper on a related subject. Grad student Ilana Goldberg said that though she knew a lot about the Jewish tradition, she did not know too much about the relationship between Jews and Christians. She felt that Rosen “clearly articulated and gave a view of the whole entire picture. He discussed the importance of the practical, not the theological aspects of Judaism, which isn’t often emphasized.”
Though the relationship between Jews and Christians is far from perfect, Rosen believes that it has the potential to flourish.
“I see Jewish-Christian relations as a garden with thick walls around it. It was not an attractive garden, but since 1965, it has been transformed. This may not yet be a perfect garden. We may need to do some trimming, but it is still a beautiful garden.”
