The Church and Israel

Among the changes in the teaching of Christian doctrine that have taken place during the last decade, the most revolutionary concerns the attitude of Christians toward Jews. Not so long ago, it was taken as axiomatic that Christians not only should witness to their religion, but should preach it. To convert non-Christians, Jews and others, was taken as the command of Jesus when he said: “Go! Preach to all nations.” Indeed, Jews have often been special targets of Christian proselytism. Christians used to feel that Jews above all others should believe in Jesus, seeing that Jesus—according to Christian belief—was the expected Messiah of the Old Testament.

Now this outlook has been replaced. A quite explicit expression of the new view is contained in the official statement put out this year by the prestigious Liaison Committee, which is composed of representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC). Rome-based Professor Tommaso Federici read a paper to the Committee in which he explained the change.

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Among the changes in the teaching of Christian doctrine that have taken place during the last decade, the most revolutionary concerns the attitude of Christians toward Jews. Not so long ago, it was taken as axiomatic that Christians not only should witness to their religion, but should preach it. To convert non-Christians, Jews and others, was taken as the command of Jesus when he said: “Go! Preach to all nations.” Indeed, Jews have often been special targets of Christian proselytism. Christians used to feel that Jews above all others should believe in Jesus, seeing that Jesus—according to Christian belief—was the expected Messiah of the Old Testament.

Now this outlook has been replaced. A quite explicit expression of the new view is contained in the official statement put out this year by the prestigious Liaison Committee, which is composed of representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC). Rome-based Professor Tommaso Federici read a paper to the Committee in which he explained the change.