The five sections of the book are entitled: Christian Attitudes to Judaism and the Jews; Jewish Attitudes to the Dialogue; The Vatican and the Jews; Israel in the Dialogue; The Dialogue in Israel. Ch. 3 discusses the "Nostra Aetate" declaration (1965). The Churches undertook the revision of many religious teachings in order to eliminate the traditional antisemitic stereotype of the Jews. Not enough, however, is being done in either Jewish or Christian education to build up understanding of the values and beliefs of the other. The appendix (pp. 143-167) contains documents - statements by the Vatican ("Nostra Aetate, " the "Guidelines, " the "Notes") and the World Council of Churches.

Relations between Christians and Jews over the past two thousand years have been characterised to a great extent by mutual distrust and by Christian discrimination and violence against Jews. In recent decades, however, a new spirit of dialogue has been emerging, beginning with an awakening among Christians of the Jewish origins of Christianity, and encouraging scholars of both traditions to work together. An Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations sheds fresh light on this ongoing interfaith encounter, exploring key writings and themes in Jewish-Christian history, from the Jewish context of the New Testament to major events of modern times, including the rise of ecumenism, the horrors of the Holocaust, and the creation of the state of Israel. This accessible theological and historical study also touches on numerous related areas such as Jewish and interfaith studies, philosophy, sociology, cultural studies, international relations and the political sciences.

God and Humanity in Auschwitz synthesizes the findings of research developed over the last thirty years on the rise of anti-Semitism in our civilization. Donald J. Dietrich sees the Holocaust as a case study of how prejudice has been theologically enculturated. He suggests how it may be controlled by reducing aggressive energy before it becomes overwhelming. Dietrich studies the recent responses of Christian theologians to the Holocaust and the Jewish theological response to questions concerning God's covenant with Israel, which were provoked by Auschwitz. Social science has dealt with the psychosocial dynamics that have supported genocide and helps explain how ordinary persons can produce extraordinary evil. Dietrich shows how this research, combined with theological analyses, can help reconfigure theology itself. Such an approach may serve to help dissolve anti-Semitism, to aid in constructing such positive values as respect for human dignity, and to point the way to restricting future outbreaks of genocide. God and Humanity in Auschwitz surveys which religious factors created a climate that permitted the Holocaust. It also illuminates what social science has to tell us about developing a strategy that, when institutionally implemented, can channel our energies away from sanctioned murder toward a more compassionate society. The book has proven to be an essential resource for theologians, sociologists, historians, and political theorists.

James K. Aitken and Edward D. Kessler have assembled here a widely diverse collection of essays on Jewish-Christian relations, a discipline that, compared with other subjects studied in university and religious circles, is relatively young. Jewish-Christian relations is a complex enterprise that cannot be reduced to simple theological or historical narratives; it must take into account politics, sociology, education, language, history, biblical studies, hermeneutics, and theology. The contributors view their particular subject through the lens of all of these disciplines while ably meeting the challenge of looking toward the future. Chapter One Introduction James K. Aitken and Edward D. Kessler Chapter Two Jews Facing Christians The Burdens and Blinders of the Past Marc Saperstein Chapter Three The Bible in Future Jewish-Christian Relations John F.A. Sawyer Chapter Four The Orthodox Churches in Dialogue with Judaism Nicholas de Lange Chapter Five Jewish Russian Orthodox Christian Dialogue Irina Levinskaya Chapter Six Catholic-Jewish Agendas Remi Hoeckman, OP Chapter Seven Institutional Relations in Jewish-Christian Relations Rev. Friedhelm Pieper Chapter Eight The New Europe, Nationalism, and Jewish-Christian Relations David Weigall Chapter Nine Israel within Jewish-Christian Relations Andrew P.B. White Chapter Ten The Effect of the Holocaust on Jewish-Christian Relations Stephen D. Smith Chapter Eleven A Third Epoch The Future of Discourse in Jewish-Christian Relations Peter Ochs and David F. Ford Chapter Twelve Women's Voices in Jewish-Christian Relations Christine Trevett Chapter Thirteen Considering a Jewish Statement on Christianity Edward Kessler and James K. Aitken The Significance of Dabru Emet Edward Kessler What Does Christianity in Jewish Terms Mean? James Aitken Chapter Fourteen Jewish-Christian Relations in the Inter-Faith Encounter Martin Forward Cumulative Bibliography List of Contributors Index +

Rabbi Gordon Fuller and Dr. Christian van Gorder are committed to helping people of both faith traditions gain, as far as is possible, a participant's appreciation of those from the other community. This means addressing misconceptions and misrepresentations as well as challenging widely held assumptions. Jews and Christians Together delves into the strained relationship between these two faith communities and exposes why these communities need to come to a better understanding and appreciation of the other. Events such as the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania demonstrate why society must address and foil anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism wherever and whenever such views appear. The efforts of Fuller and van Gorder to explore these issues with their own faith communities can provide a helpful starting-point to confront trends of increasing hate and bigotry towards Jews today. Fuller and van Gorder ask us to acknowledge the marred history of Christianity and anti-Semitism, so that we can explore healthy Jewish-Christian dialogue and gain a shared and constructive mutual respect.

Jonathan D. Sarna's award-winning American Judaism is now available in an updated and revised edition that summarizes recent scholarship and takes into account important historical, cultural, and political developments in American Judaism over the past fifteen years. Praise for the first edition: "Sarna . . . has written the first systematic, comprehensive, and coherent history of Judaism in America; one so well executed, it is likely to set the standard for the next fifty years."--Jacob Neusner, Jerusalem Post "A masterful overview."--Jeffrey S. Gurock, American Historical Review "This book is destined to be the new classic of American Jewish history."--Norman H. Finkelstein, Jewish Book World Winner of the 2004 National Jewish Book Award/Jewish Book of the Year

The twentieth century will forever be marked by the horrific event of the Shoah. As a young man, the future John Paul II witnessed this horror during the Nazi occupation of Poland. His pontificate achieved a number of groundbreaking steps in the Catholic Church's relationship with the Jewish people. This book both reflects upon John Paul II's achievements, and seeks to continue the theological and philosophical dialogue that he cherished. By examining together the words and deeds of John Paul II, eminent Jewish and Catholic scholars exemplify in this volume the dialogue that John Paul fostered. Together, Jews and Catholics can encourage each other in the tasks of knowing the Creator, living a life worthy of the created dignity that human beings possess, and defending the vulnerable among us. As Dostoevsky warned before the horrors of the twentieth century, without God, anything is permitted. Following in the footsteps of John Paul II, we discover that our search for meaning and truth is one that needs to be undertaken arm-in-arm. Contributors include Hadley Arkes, David G. Dalin, Robert P. George, Matthew Levering, Bruce Marshall, David Novak, Michael Novak, Gregory Vall, and George Weigel.

This book addresses issues central to today’s Catholic Church, focusing on the relationship between various religions in different contexts and regions across the world. The diverse array of contributors present an inclusively interfaith enterprise, investigating a wide range of encounters and perspectives. The essays include approaches from the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Bahá’í traditions, in a variety of geographic contexts. Contributors reflect on Muslims in the West, Christian-Buddhist social activism, and on Chinese, Indian, and Japanese religions. The volume also explores the experiences of communities that are often marginalized and overlooked such as the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders of Australia and the Karen tribal peoples of Thailand. Contributors examine the works of the Focolare, Gülen, and Risshō Kōsei-kai movements, and integrate the vision of Raimon Panikkar and Ken Wilber. Chapters incorporate discussions of dialogue documents such as Nostra Aetate and Dabru Emet, and methodologies such as Receptive Ecumenism, Comparative Theology, and Scriptural Reasoning. Among other goals, the book seeks to offer glimpses into interfaith dialogues across the world and examine what Christians can learn from other religions and global contexts.