Search Results (168)

This article analyzes the work of Fr. Elias Friedman, whose legacy of theological work on Jewish identity and Jewish conversion to Catholicism serves as the foundation of the Association of Hebrew Catholics, of which he is the founder. Friedman frames his work as a sensitive approach to Jewish identity and Catholic faith, but as this paper demonstrates, his work reveals a reiteration of some of the most entrenched and historically devastating tropes of Christian anti-Judaism, as well as racial antisemitism. This article presents three main arguments. First, it demonstrates that Friedman’s work evidences a theological anti-Judaism characteristic of Catholicism prior to the Second Vatican Council, which he maintained firmly even after the theological revision of Vatican II rejected such views; and furthermore, that his work also expresses an antisemitism that reflects the modern racial antisemitism adopted by the Nazi regime. Second, this article examines the positive reception of Friedman’s work, as evidenced not only in the revered position he holds within the Association for Hebrew Catholics, but also by the nihil obstat and imprimatur on both of Friedman’s monographs, that is, the official stamp of ecclesiastical approval within the Catholic Church, which declares that the work is “free of doctrinal and moral error.” It proposes that these factors evidence the uncritical reception of his work not only within the Association of Hebrew Catholics, but also on behalf of the institutional Catholic Church. Third, it raises the question of the extent to which Friedman’s identity as a Jewish convert to Catholicism is relevant in the analysis and reception of his work. It argues that his Jewish identity makes his concoction of religious anti-Judaism and racial antisemitism particularly potent, rendering anodyne even the most virulently antisemitic of his statements. Full article

With good reason, Vatican II encourages the Eastern ecclesial realities to preserve and, if necessary, to rediscover their own traditions (also, even if not only, for ecumenical reasons). There are, however, certain aspects of the heritage of the Eastern Churches that require urgent revision in a spirit of consistency with the teachings of the Council. This is undoubtedly the case with regard to the anti-Jewish elements so specific to the entire Christian tradition (more or less generalised insults and judgments; substitutionary and appropriative perspectives; a purely instrumental use of the Jewish scriptures) and, in the absence of full reception of the Council, still reflected in the public prayers of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church, to the detriment of that spirit of respect, fraternity, and dialogue theoretically embraced throughout the Catholic world today. In the light of Nostra aetate §4 and the subsequent developments that flowed from it, I shall try in this contribution to outline some possible criteria for reforming the offices of Holy Week, aiming to show that—at least in this particular case—it is not enough merely to refer to the OE, let alone to use it to justify a comfortable tendency towards inertia. Apart from the fact that it is this very Decree that speaks of a possible and necessary organic progress, we cannot ignore the more general spirit of renewal of the Council and its other documents (the NA, the SC, the DV, the GS). The challenge would be to engender a creative fidelity, which—while preserving the best of tradition—surpasses certain of its contingent elements. Full article

Clouds appear as a cross-culturally useful literary device in Greco-Roman, Jewish, and Christian sources. This paper argues that the cloud travel in the apocryphal Acts of Andrew and Matthias functions in three ways: as a transformative callback to Jesus’s ascension and coming return, as a demonstration of Andrew’s power over natural elements, and as a secure form of transportation away from the difficulties of other travel methods. The author of the text combines the divine protection found in clouds in Greco-Roman literature with the theophanies found in the Septuagint and the New Testament to create this cloud-travel motif that later reappears in the apocryphal sequel Acts of Peter and Andrew. Full article

Some studies have pointed to the Jewish background of the prayer that, according to the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus taught his disciples. However, the formulations of LP’s words do not necessarily presuppose the conclusion of the formation of Jewish prayers and do not necessarily presuppose a unidirectional influence of Jewish prayers on the formation of LP. This prayer and its “midrash” in John 17 may have influenced the formulation and final formation of some Jewish prayers. The differences between these prayers may indicate the mutual influence that, in some cases, took place throughout the history of their formation. This reciprocity may be due to the intention to establish and define the differences between the religious groups of Judaic origin that inherited these prayers and between the communities that recited them. The crystallization of biblical themes in these prayers highlights the common heritage of these groups and a different understanding of the fulfilment of God’s word in relation to the coming of his kingdom. While this process, characterized by a conflict of interpretations, took place “within Judaism,” it also led to the parting of the ways of Judeo-Christians from the Synagogue. Full article

HIKESHI-related hypomyelinating leukodystrophy (HHL) is a life-threatening disorder caused by homozygous pathogenic variants in HIKESHI. Symptoms include infantile onset progressive spastic dystonic quadriplegia, nystagmus, failure to thrive, diffused hypomyelination, and severe morbidity or death following febrile illness. V54L variants in HIKESHI are particularly prevalent within the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Here, we identified a novel P78S disease-causing variant in HIKESHI in a patient of Christian Arab origin, presenting with clinical and radiologic features characteristic of HHL. In silico analysis suggests that the mutated residue may affect the HIKESHI protein’s dimerization domain. We generated a comprehensive set of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from the index case and two additional HHL patients. To investigate mechanisms potentially linked to febrile illness in HHL, we used these cells to study the heat shock (HS) response. HHL-iPSCs showed dramatically decreased levels of HIKESHI compared with healthy controls following HS. In addition, they exhibited increased HSP70 mRNA levels in response to HS, suggesting an increased sensitivity. HHL-iPSCs had impaired HSP70 translocation to the nucleus. Our results provide a human-relevant model for HHL. Full article

The rapid growth in interfaith peacebuilding has elevated the prominence of religion in theoretical and practical discourse, highlighting its importance in conflict dynamics. In dialogue-based encounters between distinct identity groups, religion often emerges as a key factor, regardless of participants’ specific affiliation or religiosity level. However, studies on religion-related tension typically adopt a polarized perspective, framing conflict in intergroup contexts while overlooking intra-group dynamics. This paper addresses this gap through a qualitative cross-case analysis of two studies, conducted in Israel during 2016–2019. Participants included 28 secular Jews and 28 secular Arabs (Christian and Muslim). Our findings reveal that non-religious individuals from both societies experienced similar challenges in navigating intra-group, religion-based encounters. Participants identified religion as defining boundaries of understanding, acceptance, legitimacy, and belonging within their societies. The study also highlights gaps in mutual recognition, whereby the participants expressed willingness to accept religion as integral to their religious counterparts’ identity, yet reported that this openness was not reciprocated. This gap created barriers to dialogue, weakening potential intra-group cohesion. This paper contributes to the literature on conflicts and peacebuilding, underscoring notable intra-group similarities between Jewish and Arab participants, and offers a novel framework for understanding religious dynamics across distinct social contexts. Full article

Rome, historically regarded as a monumental center of Catholic Christendom, now stands as a multi-layered environment shaped by diverse religious communities whose overlapping architectures, rites, and narratives expand the city’s cultural memory. This article employs Warburg’s Mnemosyne methodology to investigate how symbolic motifs, architectural forms, and intangible practices—from Eastern Orthodox iconography to the Great Mosque of Rome’s transnational design—migrate, adapt, and reconfigure within Rome’s urban fabric. Drawing on interdisciplinary approaches from cultural memory studies, religious studies, and urban geography, it reveals how minority communities—Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox Christian, Protestant, Methodist, and Scientology—act as “memory agents”, negotiating visibility and introducing new heritage layers that challenge monolithic perceptions of Rome’s identity. The analysis underscores that intangible heritage, such as chanting, prayer, and interfaith festivals, is equally central to understanding how collective memory is produced and transmitted. Tensions arise when key stakeholders do not validate these emerging cultural forms or question their “authenticity”, reflecting the contested nature of heritage-making. Ultimately, Rome’s religious plurality, shaped by migration and historical transformations, emerges as a dynamic memoryscape. By recognizing the vital role of minority faiths in heritage-making, this study contributes to broader debates on cultural pluralism, super-diversity, and the evolving definitions of religious and cultural heritage in contemporary global cities. Full article

This study demonstrates that Paul presents the Eucharist in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 as an identity-forming and identity-sustaining liturgical act. Through literary analysis, the research first highlights Paul’s deliberate fivefold use of the verb συνέρχομαι (“to come together”) to frame the passage, emphasizing the communal nature of the Eucharist. The meal is intended to mark the identity of the church as one body—set apart from the status-based divisions typical of Roman banquet culture. The current study also observes that Paul strategically places the early Christian confession of the Lord’s Supper at the center of his argument. In doing so, he calls the Corinthians to recall this tradition and re-engage in a shared act of remembrance—one that enacts the memory of Christ’s death and thereby reconstitutes them as a unified body. This understanding is rooted in Jewish conceptions of ritual memory, in which liturgical acts not only recall the past but renew and reinforce communal identity. Through such embodied remembrance, the church does not merely recall who it is; it performs and sustains that identity. Thus, the Eucharist functions both to form the church as one body distinct from the world and to maintain that identity through repeated, participatory remembrance. Full article

This article offers the architectural definition and interpretative keys to a unique project. It is a space shared by the three main Abrahamic faiths: the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. Although conceptually other religions could be accommodated. Its configuration is very elementary: a cubic volume, massive and almost blind, with a cylindrical space crowned by a simple skylight. Each of the religions is based on a scratching of the interior surfaces of the space, forming the ritual areas of each of them. And towards the center of the space there are other areas of prayer and celebration that could be shared among the believers of the different religions, from the conviction that they are addressed to the same God. In this configuration there is a will of invitation, of offering to all men of good will. The article, written by the architect of this space, mentions some plastic and conceptual references that have served as inspiration for the project and its presentation is intended to fuel the debate on the possibility of this space. Full article

This article explores the evolution of Jewish–Christian dialogue in the Roman Catholic Church, focusing on the theological and pastoral contributions of three post-Vatican II Popes—John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. Beginning with the transformative Nostra Ætate declaration of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), this study examines how each Pope uniquely advanced Jewish–Christian relations through doctrinal development, symbolic gestures, and interreligious dialogue. John Paul II’s performative theology emphasized reconciliation and outreach, significantly enhancing Jewish–Christian relations through groundbreaking gestures and public declarations. Benedict XVI sought to deepen the theological foundations of Jewish–Christian dialogue, integrating it into broader Roman Catholic theology while navigating challenges of reception due to his intellectual style. Francis emphasized relational warmth, shared ethical commitments, and a theology of reconciliation, fostering a more inclusive and dialogical approach to interreligious engagement. By analysing the continuities and discontinuities in the approaches of these three Popes, this article highlights the dynamic interplay between theology, symbolism, and pastoral care in advancing Jewish–Christian relations, offering a comprehensive overview of a pivotal era in interreligious dialogue. Full article

During the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, most Jews lived as a minority under Christian or Islamic rule. By contrast, the Ethiopian Jews, the Betä Ǝsraʾel, maintained political autonomy in parts of Ethiopia until the seventeenth century. From the fourteenth century, they were engaged in a series of wars against the Christian Solomonic Kingdom. Following Christian military victories over the Betä Ǝsraʾel, the victors erected churches in the newly conquered lands. Some were built on the sites of battles and over Betä Ǝsraʾel strongholds to commemorate the Solomonic victory. While churches dedicated to historical events are common, those memorializing Christian military victories over Jews are largely without parallel elsewhere. This article provides an overview of what is known about their location, characteristics, and symbolism, and discusses their contribution to understanding the Betä Ǝsraʾel polity. Full article

The plays written by Fernando de Zárate, alias of the Crypto-Jewish poet Antonio Enríquez Gómez (1600–1663), appear on the surface to be militantly Catholic. Critics have struggled to reconcile the vision of the ‘Zárate’ plays, written in Seville after Enríquez’s clandestine return from exile (c. 1650), with the poems and treatises he penned in France (1636–1649), which were harshly critical of the Inquisition and Spanish notions of blood purity. One such play, El noble siempre es valiente [The nobleman is always brave], survives in an autograph manuscript from 1660. Written only months before the Inquisition identified and arrested Enríquez, the play became the most popular stage version of the epic hero El Cid in the eighteenth century, when it circulated under the titles El Cid Campeador and Vida y muerte del Cid [Life and death of El Cid]. The work stages the triumph of Spanish Christianity over Islam and appears to advocate an implacably bellicose ethos. This essay, however, interprets the play in the context of Enríquez’s exile writing, with specific focus on the influence of another erstwhile victim of the Inquisition, Fray Luis de León (1527–1591), whose works were found in the private libraries of Crypto-Jewish families. Full article

The persistence of anti-Jewish and antisemitic stereotypes throughout history, from medieval times to the present, reveals the enduring power of visual and cultural narratives in shaping public perceptions of Jews. This paper examines how Yvan Attal’s film Ils sont partout effectively satirizes these stereotypes, exposing their absurdity and the dangers of such ingrained prejudices. By connecting modern satire to historical instances of antisemitism, this study emphasizes the necessity of challenging and critically analyzing these harmful depictions. While the forms of anti-Jewish and antisemitism evolve over time, the underlying biases remain disturbingly consistent across cultures and eras. Full article

This article explores the historical and contemporary relationships between Jews and Muslims, with a focus on the implications for Islamic religious education. It highlights the complexity of Jewish–Muslim relations, characterized by periods of coexistence and conflict. Early Islamic history reveals an inclusive community of believers encompassing pious Jews and Christians, challenging modern perceptions of inherent antagonism. The article examines the evolution of these relationships, noting significant changes influenced by political dynamics. In Germany, political discourses further shape mutual perceptions, often exacerbating tensions between Jewish and Muslim communities. Educationally, the article advocates for addressing distorted perspectives and emphasizes the value of intertextual analysis of the Quran and the Torah. Full article

Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah (Faith Strengthened), written by the 16th-century Karaite Jewish scholar Isaac ben Abraham of Troki (Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth), was one of the most renowned Hebrew anti-Christian polemical works, meriting translation into most European languages. Troki authored his book during the Polish Reformation, a period marked by intense interactions and theological debates between Jews and Christians of various denominations. The author provides a comprehensive philological, grammatical, and historical analysis of the New Testament while relying heavily on the ideas and scriptural interpretations of radical Protestant theologians and Rabbanite scholars. Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah is unusual in a number of respects. This paper examines one such peculiarity—namely, the author’s view that the Torah and its commandments obligate Christians—as well as his eschatological model in which Christians will become part of Israel in the messianic age. His perspective is examined in our study with particular attention to the range of argumentative methods employed. Among these are the use of evidence from the New Testament, especially the accounts of Jesus and his disciples observing the commandments, and the contrast of early Christians’ conceptions and practices, which he views as close to the Mosaic law, with later Christian interpretations of the Old and the New Testament. Full article