ORTHODOX-CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM IN DIALOGUE ‒ MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

Source: Academia.edu

Reverend Dr. Adrian Boldişor, University of Craiova, Romania

ABSTRACT

With a history of 2000 years, the dialogue between Orthodoxy and Judaism experienced difficult times that have left deep scars in the hearts of the followers of the two religions. In the modern and contemporary period, without forgetting the past, it is trying to find bridges between the two religions with the purpose to help the faithful to respond responsibly to the challenges of the present and future. The themes that have been analyzed in the past are of a great interest to our times: the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, the place and the role of the Bible in the two monotheistic traditions, Jerusalem as a Holy City, the religious freedom, the quality and the responsibility of elected people, the problem of religious freedom. Finally, only through sincere cooperation one can find relevant answers to the faithful of the both religions.

INTRODUCTION

In the larger boarders of history of interreligious dialogue, the dialogue with the Jews is the oldest that the Christians have had with the followers of other religions. Over the time, this dialogue has experienced difficult periods that ended with a real conflict. In the early modernity, the dialogue between Christians and Jews had several guidelines that take into account the realities of living of the representatives of the two religions: the Old Testament approach as a common basis for discussion; the moral attitude which consists in the awakening of the Christian responsibility to the Hebrew people; the desire to get out of the isolation expressed by the followers of Judaism in the sense that, after the dark period of the last century, the Judaism was legitimized before the world as the religion of a people which has kept the intact identity over the centuries.

THE CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE WITH JEWS DURING THE MODERN AND

CONTEMPORARY PERIOD Before the Second World War were founded several organizations that have worked to improve the dialogue between Christians and Jews. In 1930 was founded the Committee on the Christian Approach to the Jews as an agency supported by the International Missionary Council. It was dealing with the development of training programs and preparation of meetings between Christians and Jews, since its formation, denouncing the anti-Semitism in any form. At the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in New Delhi (1961) this Committee was reorganized as a body in the WCC. Another forum that fought against anti-Semitism was The Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) created in 1942. Over time there have been as well other bodies which have militated for the development of levers to help promoting the dialogue between Christians and Jews. One of these organizations was the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ) in which were involved Protestant Christians and Roman Catholics, as well representatives of Jews. They met in Seelisberg (1947) proposing a list of ten points for a better collaboration between the followers of the two religions. Other important meetings were held in Bossey in the period 1964-1966. An important moment in the relations between Christians and Jews was the document Nostra Aetate at Second Vatican Council (1965) followed by others promulgated by Vatican or by the conferences of the cardinals in order to implement the decisions of 1965 in the best possible conditions. The same thing was happened in the Protestant Churches, where a meeting of several Christian organizations from Rhineland (1980) criticized any proselytizing attempt to convert the Jews. If centrally one can say that Protestant Churches and the Catholic Church have issued various documents that reestablishes the path of good relations between the followers of the two religions, problems arise when one trying to assess local and parochial decisions. The attempt to resolve meantime moral and social issues often slams the problem of the missionary conversion [1]. Along the meeting in Edinburgh 1910 and those in the WCC, in which they discussed the dialogue between Christians and Jews (from the first General Assembly in Amsterdam in 1948, when one raised the issue of anti-Semitism of any kind), it must be also mention the bilateral meetings held during the time in the different places. “The relationship between the World Council of Churches and the Jewish community is as old as the Council itself. In fact during the years when the Council was in process of formation, it was actively involved in work among refugees in Europe, many of them Jews. The Council has always looked upon Christian-Jewish relations as a special ecumenical commitment, and it is resolute in the struggle against anti-semitism” [2]. In most cases, beyond the specific topics addressed, the basis of the bilateral meetings was the biblically study, given the importance of the history of Bible in the two traditions and the fact that the Old Testament is respected both Jews and Christians. Between 1968-1972 took place in Switzerland four meetings attended by religious leaders both Jews and Christians: Geneva (1968, 1969, 1972) and Lugano (1970). Of the Jews participated ten representatives of various religious organizations, while Christians were represented by 17 participants from different Christian formations, members of the WCC. As main subjects were chosen the importance of Jerusalem in the two religious traditions and the importance of the religious education [3]. In 1975 it held in Sigtuna a meeting, Jewish and Christian Worship, with the theme focusing on the relevance of the religious worship in the two traditions. Also it was discussed the importance of Jewish worship for the Christian world, including the cult of the family, the synagogue and the temple. Another meeting was held in Arnoldshain (1981), Jews and Christians on the way to Vancouver, being a preparation for the General Assembly of the WCC in Canada (1983). At this meeting they discussed what brought the new dialogue between Christians and Jews about the gained experience of life, and the role of Jesus. In 1982 has been sent the document Ecumenical Considerations on JewishChristians Dialogue by the Central Committee of the WCC to the member of all Churches, a result of meetings between CCJ and IJCIC, putting into practice the recommendations of the Guidelines on Dialogue adopted in Chiang Mai (1977). In 1988 it was published the text of the Theology of the Church and the Jewish People: Statements by the World Council of Churches and Its Members Churches in the discussions that took place between the representatives of WCC and IJCIC. The text is starts from the historical reality of the dialogue between Christians and Jews and from the obvious relationship that exists between them. It emphasizes the historical importance of the Jews for the Christians, ant the importance of the Old Testament for the New Testament. It is recommended that in the future to work on shaping a single vision in every tradition for a better development of dialogue or to the presentation of all the opinions on the subject. In these circumstances, it is advised to Christians to know and to understand the Jewish history, especially in recent years, when they were persecuted [4]. In the same year, the WCC held a meeting in Sigtuna in that were fixed key points that have emerged from the meetings that took place so far between the Christian and Jews: God’s love is manifested for all humanity; Christians and Jews share a similar spirituality; Jesus Christ unites Christians and Jews; Christians reject the claim after that the Jews suffering is due the Lord Crucifixion; Jews and Christians have the same roots, but have different goals; the recognition of the tragedy of the Holocaust; Jews people is not removed from God; Jews have a special vocation; nowadays Jews continue the old tradition of biblical ancestors.

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