This module is Religious Difference: Jewish, Christian and Other Perspectives.
Please choose a question from bellow:
1.Were the Christian Hebraists of the Midde Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation more interested in addressing Christian priorities or in discovering Jewish religious literature?
2. ‘A boundary is not that at which something stops but […] that from which something begins its presencing’ (Martin Heidegger, 1889-1976). Explain this statement and consider its relevance for our understanding of the boundaries between Muslims and Christians in medieval Iberia as recorded by AT LEAST TWO ballads. Your answer should be based on a close reading of the poems and comments on linguistic divides, and should show how the formal and stylistic features of your chosen ballads help shape their meaning.
3.Which factors have promoted, and which factors have delayed progress in Jewish relations with other faiths since World War II? Discuss with reference to at least two other religions or religious denominations.
4.The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament has often been the site of Jewish-Christian conflict, but it can also be a site of encounter and shared ideas. Discuss, using both premodern and modern examples.
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Factors Affecting the Relationship Between Jews and Other Faiths
ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF JEWS AND OTHER FAITHS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM BY
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Various factors influence the relationship between Jews and people of other faiths.
Religion is frequently cited as a contributing factor to international conflict. The majority of conflicts throughout the world are fueled by clashes of cultural identity, which are primarily based on religion. In reality, significant violent attacks such as the September 11th attacks lend support to the notion that religious differences are the primary cause of conflict throughout the world. Religion, on the other hand, is an irreplaceable source of reconciliation and understanding, and it serves as a foundation for efforts to bring about peace and reconciliation. All of the world’s major religions make an effort to emphasize the importance of maintaining world peace on a consistent basis. Religious traditions contain resources that may be useful in the promotion of world peace. Volunteers and religious leaders have demonstrated in numerous instances that they are on the front lines of society’s efforts to resolve conflict, Helping in the promotion of peacebuilding by acting as intermediaries between parties. For this reason, the establishment of interfaith relationships is critical in the prevention of violent religious attacks throughout the world. More than half of the world’s population adheres to a particular religion, which may be Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, or any combination of the above. As a result, religious leaders around the world must work hard to maintain positive interfaith relations in order to keep the peace that currently exists in the world. Despite the fact that certain factors contributed to the advancement of interfaith relations following World War II, there were also factors that slowed the process.
After World War II, there were several factors that aided the Jewish community’s relations with other faiths.
Following World War II, the Jewish people engaged in a number of dialogues with representatives of various religious traditions (Interfaith dialogue). When individuals of different religious, humanistic, or spiritual beliefs come together in a constructive, cooperative, and positive manner on both an institutional and personal level, this is referred to as interfaith dialogue. The difference between interfaith dialogue and alternative religions or syncretism is that it always involves encouraging understanding between various beliefs and religions in order to increase acceptance of other people, as opposed to promoting the development of new beliefs. There are interfaith programs at all levels of government, including international, national, regional, and local. Many of the initiatives are either informally or formally associated with one another, indicating the existence of larger networks or federations. The primary goal of interfaith initiatives is to promote religious harmony among people of different faiths. Federations and governments are of the opinion that only religious harmony will lead to international harmony. Interfaith dialogue is becoming increasingly important in the fields of peacebuilding and religious studies. There is a widespread belief that dialogue between religious leaders is the only way to achieve lasting peace.
The Jews worked to establish a dialogue between Muslims and themselves. Since the beginning of the 17th century, there has been an ongoing dialogue between Jews and Muslims. The dialogue between Jews, Christians, and Muslims was intended to foster interactions and an exchange of opinions and ideas (Firestone, 2013, 224). The dialogue fostered positive interaction and relations between the two religions over a long period of time, resulting in a reduction in the number of instances of religious violence attacks. During the early centuries of Christianity, Jews coexisted with adherents of other religions and movements. In order to avoid being divided among themselves, the Jews debated whether or not to join the movements/religions in question. Muslim and Jewish leaders decided to engage in dialogue in order to increase the acceptance of new religions in society, in order to reduce religious conflicts that could result in a greater religious war throughout the world.
The participation of Jews, Christians and Muslims in a dialogue at the congregational and institutional levels has been noted for several decades. First and foremost, they were interacting with one another in lay communities and through clergy relationships. With the growth of Muslim society in various parts of the world, such as in the United States, and with the increasing involvement of Muslim professionals in social and civil affairs, the Christians were invited to join the dialogue in order to improve their interaction with Muslims. A discussion environment in which Muslims and Jews could interact with one another and observe the behaviors of others in inter-religious settings helped to bring Muslims and Jews closer together during the dialogue. Aside from that, Muslims The clergy leaders extended an invitation to religious leaders to attend their events as well. Sometimes, in areas where Islamic centers or mosques and synagogues are in close proximity to one another, the spiritual leaders of Jewish congregations (rabbis) will initiate contacts with Muslim religious leaders (Firestone, 2013, 230). Because of the unique circumstances of Muslim communities in the United States, initiating interaction with Muslim religious leaders was more difficult than initiating interaction with Jewish and Christian religious leaders. Historically, Islamic centers and mosques have always lacked trained clergy, dating back to the origins of the Islamic religions. Their clergy are sometimes trained in foreign countries, which causes them to have difficulty communicating and thus hardening the interaction process. The Jewish-Muslim dialogue, on the other hand, had a significant positive impact on the relationship between Muslims, Jews, and other Christians.
Aside from that, the Jews initiated a dialogue with other Christians, which became known as the Jewish-Christian dialogue. During the dialogue, the goal was to bring the two sister faiths closer together, which has been a significant development in the world since the turn of the twentieth century (Ariel, 2013, 207). The planned attempt at dialogue between Jews and Christians began at the end of the nineteenth century, primarily as a result of liberal initiatives. It was not successful. Several Jewish and Christian clergymen extended invitations to each other to speak in some of their respective congregations. The invitation extended by the leaders of their respective congregations resulted in a personal exchange between the leaders of progressive Jewish congregations and Christians. The goal of the direct, systematic dialogue was to improve the relationship between the two sister faiths and to foster a more trusting environment between them, which was achieved with great success. The exchange of intellectual and social ideas between representatives from the Jewish and Christian faiths has taken place in the past with the goal of improving cooperation. In spite of this, Christian leaders were uninterested in dialogue and the establishment of a peaceful environment between them and Jews through mutual acceptance of each other’s faith. In the late nineteenth century, they agreed to engage in dialogue with the Jewish community. The result of their discussion was the creation of an atmosphere that expressed appreciation for the beliefs of the two religions, thereby improving their relationship.
International religious dialogue has had a significant impact on the Jewish and Christian communities as a whole. The dialogue has also endured in a significant way in the field of priests, ministers, and rabbis, as well as academicians and thinkers who have chosen to represent their respective traditions or communities. Countercultural, secular, conservative, dissenting, and popular voices in the community were occasionally left out of the conversation, which was regrettable. As a matter of fact, when the dialogue reached its pinnacle, it resulted in an extraordinary improvement in the relationship between Jews and Christians. In addition, the dialogue came to a stalemate over the Jewish fascination with the country of Israel.
Furthermore, in the mid-20th century, the reconciliation of the mainstream Christian churches with Judaism was regarded as a top priority by the churches. It was the goal of the Jewish religious leaders to engage in dialogue with Jewish religious leaders in order to improve their interaction and relationship (Efron, Weitzman, and Lehmann, 2018, 424. A peaceful atmosphere between the Jewish and Judaic faiths was established in the twentieth century, resulting in the establishment of peace between the two religions. Diverse leaders from the Jewish and Judaic communities invited their counterparts from the other faith communities, which helped to strengthen their relationship. In the mid-twentieth century, there was a significant reduction in the amount of conflict that existed between the two religious communities. As Christians and Jews came to terms with one another’s beliefs and existence, their relationship developed into something more substantial.
Furthermore, the promulgation of the Nostra Aetate in the spring of 1965 strengthened the bond that existed between Christin Jews and Roman Catholics. Nostra Aetate drew people closer together with each passing day. The bonds that formed between people of different religious backgrounds grew stronger over the years. It was decided that the churches would examine their relationships with non-Christian religions such as Judaism more closely. Nostra Aetate was tasked with the mission of promoting love and unity among all people, while also upholding the unity of nations. The declaration took into consideration what people have in common and what motivates them to come together in fellowship. One of the factors that brought people together in the community of all people, the origin of humankind, was one of the factors that drew them together (Sherman, 2015, 8). They believed that God created the entire human race in order for them to live on the surface of the earth. Another consideration is the ultimate goal of humans, which is union with God. People believed that God’s providence, goodness manifestation, and plan for salvation are equally directed to all of humanity until the time comes when the chosen group will be gathered in the Holy City, at which point they will be united as one. In God’s glory, the Holy City is that city where nations will walk in God’s light, and in God’s light, they will be blazing. In order to find an answer to the unsolved riddle about the condition of man that has piqued their interest since the beginning of time, humans have joined religious communities such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. They look for meaning and purpose in religious settings in an attempt to discover what life is all about. Religious beliefs also attempt to define what constitutes a good moral and what constitutes a sin for humans. One of the good morals is love for all human beings, which has been used by a number of religious leaders to bring their congregations together and to bring people together in their beliefs and practices. As part of its campaign for the equality of all humankind, Nostra Aetate has brought people of various religious backgrounds together. People are currently attempting to identify and accept the religions of others, with the goal of building a stronger relationship between them.
They both believe in the existence of God and believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, which is a common belief among Jews and protestant Christians. The existence of a shared religious belief between religions has helped to strengthen the bonds that bind them together. According to some scholars, the true living God worshipped by Jews is the same God worshipped by other protestant Christians, as well as by Muslim adherents (Paul, 965, 4). In a similar vein, Jews and other Christians believe that God revealed Himself to them through Jesus, who was sent to earth to die as a sacrifice for humanity’s transgressions. As a result of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants, the church chosen by Jesus Christ has become deeply ingrained in God’s people. Christians and Jews share the belief that the Jews have not been replaced by Christians, which is depicted in the following way. It is believed that the existence of the Jewish people, as well as the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ by the Christian churches, serve as evidence of God’s reign on the earth. When Protestant Christians talk about the Jewish people, they always acknowledge that they are already in a covenant relationship with the Almighty (Sherman, 2015, 7). The shared religious beliefs of Jews and other Christians facilitated their interaction, which in turn helped to strengthen their relationship. The common belief that God is the father of all humankind strengthened unity and love among people, resulting in improved relationships between people of different religious backgrounds.
After World War II, there were several factors that aided the Jewish community’s relations with other faiths.
The progress of relation between the Jewish and Muslims were delayed due to the mistreatment of the Jews by Muslims. The relationship between the Muslims and other religious living under the Muslim rules occurred within constraints established by the Muslim law of Dhimma after the initial era of religious formation. The laws were protecting Muslim communities against other religions and beliefs. The Christians and Jews were protected but overpowered and were referred to as dhimmi communities. The Jews were protected by the law and held legal citizenship in the land but at a secondary social status. According to Muslim Laws, the Jews were allowed to freely worship unless the worship is conducted in a public place. However, they were entirely prohibited from evangelizing. The consequence of breaking the Muslim law was death. Religious dialogues, which could easily turn to be a conflict, became a dangerous effort. Therefore, the progress of the Jewish Relationship with Muslims was delayed due to fear of harsh Muslim laws.
Besides, the Christians and Jews were only protected by the law only if they accept their inferior status. If they failed to acknowledge and show respect to the Islamic religion, then the government would withdraw the official protections leaving them exposed to possible mistreatments from other religions. The balance between the inferior status and protection was achieved by forcing the Christians and Jews (dhimmis) communities to participate in submissive behaviors in relation to Muslims. Dhimmis communities were required to wear identifiable clothing and even to use specialized forms of address (Firestone, 2013, 224). When Muslims felt that the Christians and Jews were not accepting their subordinate positions, they could be subjected to cruelty and brutality directed at them collectively or individually. Occasionally, accusations made by Muslims against Jews Christians were for crooked reasons and personal gains. The accusations would require a coordinated campaign and response by the Jews and Christian community for its protection and to ensure its rights. In general, the Muslim community offered legal status for the Jews in the areas dominated by Muslims, which required the Jews to fully recognize and offer full respect to the Dhamma community. The fear of mistreatment from the Muslim community reduced proper interactions between the Jews and Muslims in dhamma communities. Therefore, the relationship between Jews and Muslims was delayed due to the superiority and hostility nature of Muslims.
Moreover, the reconciliation between the Jewish and Judaism, which was a priority in the 20th century, became less critical at the start of the 21st century reducing the relationship between the mainstream Christians and Judaism. The Jews shifted their concerns and focus to dialogues with other faiths such as Islam deteriorating their relationships with other religions. Besides, the interfaith dialogue between the Jews and other religions were essential to other Christians, while others did not put seriousness in the dialogue. That is, the dialogue was not important to all Christian religious leaders (Prager, 2007, 61). . Besides, the reconciliation between the Christian community and Jewish has been fragile, with stubborn pockets of suspicions and bitterness still exist even though the interfaith dialogue has been a significant success. Not all Protestants, Catholics and other members of the Christian mainstream have accepted the validity of Judaism and other religious groups. Therefore, other Christians have seen no need to change their attitude towards Jewish and Judaism since World war II. Similarly, not all Jews have participated in the dialogue and not all have accepted the beliefs of other religions. Lack of belief and doubt about other religions have by a certain group of Christians and Jews have delayed the progress process of their relations. Whereas interfaith dialogue has been a significant boost in the unique improvement of the relationship between different faiths, the truth is that the correlation between the Jewish and other Christians have remained delicate due to lack of trust of particular fractions of the Religious groups.
Moreover, the difference in the ideologies and opinions in different religions delayed the progress of interaction between various faiths. For instance, Christians and Jewish religions believe in Jesus Christ being the son of God who was sent on earth to die for humans’ sins (Saperstein, 1989, 41). Muslims, on the other hand, do not believe in Jesus Christ as a son of God. Instead, they believe in a mighty prophet Mohamed. Discussions between these two groups may sometimes lead to conflict as one party may be trying to explain to another about their faith. Therefore, it has been hard to develop a straightforward dialogue between Muslims and Christian communities without resulting in a conflict. The fear of initiating a conflict that may disrupt peace in the entire world has made religious leaders fear getting into discussions with their fellow leaders. Therefore, the interactions between faiths have been minimized, reducing their relationships.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the most considerable fraction of the world’s population believes in a particular religion. Religion is believed to be a factor in international conflict. Therefore, to ensure the maintenance of peace in the world, religions must first create a stronger relationship between their members by accepting the faiths and beliefs of others. It is believed that there cannot be peace in the world if there is no peace in religions. From the end of the Second World War, some factors have promoted the relationship between different religions, which has dramatically promoted peace in the world. These factors include dialogues between different faiths and the establishment of Nostra Aetate, which promotes all humankind’s equality. However, there have been some factors such as unacceptance of other religions’ cultures and doubt about the validity of other faiths, which delayed the progress of interaction between different religions.
References
Ariel, Y., 2013. Jewish–Christian Dialogue. The Wiley‐Blackwell Companion to Inter‐Religious Dialogue, pp.205-223.
Segell, Glen. “The Jewish Narrative for Restraint and Coexistence in Jerusalem.” (2022).
Edwin, J.V., 2011. A common word between us and you: a new departure in Muslim attitudes towards Christianity (Doctoral dissertation, University of Birmingham).
Efron, J., Weitzman, S. and Lehmann, M., 2018. The Jews: A History. Routledge.
Firestone, R., 2013. Jewish-Muslim Dialogue. The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Inter-Religious Dialogue, p.224.
Sweet, Hannah Cherian, and Rachel Ann Paul. “Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health.” Diversity in Action. Springer, Cham, 2022. 139-154.
Paul, V.I., 1965. Declaration On The Relation Of The Church To Non-Christian Religions—Nostra Aetate (Vol. 28). Vatican Website.
Prager, B., 2007. The cinema of Werner Herzog: aesthetic ecstasy and truth. Columbia University Press.
Saperstein, M., 1989. Moments of crisis in Jewish-Christian relations. SCM Press.
Sherman, F., 2015. Protestant Parallels to Nostra Aetate. Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations, 10(2).
