Protestantism and Judaism
Relations between Protestantism and Judaism have existed since the time of the
In 1523, Martin Luther advised kindness toward the Jews because Jesus Christ was born a Jew and Luther aimed to convert them to Christianity.[1] When his efforts at conversion failed, he grew increasingly bitter toward them.[2]
Church of Scotland
In 1981 the Assembly of the Church of Scotland declared "its belief in the continuing place of God's people of Israel within the divine purpose."
Church of England
In 2019, the Church of England Faith and Order Commission published God’s Unfailing Word: Theological and Practical Perspectives on Christian–Jewish Relations, which stated, "As a body responsible for theology, not interfaith relations, the Commission would focus on clarifying the theological positions arising from the Church of England's engagement in Christian-Jewish relations since the watershed of the 1960s". Among issues raised, the document addresses passages in the New Testament that are allegedly problematic for Jewish-Christian relation.
Lutheran World Federation
In 1982 the Lutheran World Federation issued a consultation stating that "we Christians must purge ourselves of any hatred of the Jews and any sort of teaching of contempt for Judaism."
The European Lutheran Commission on the Church and the Jewish People (Lutherische Europäische Kommission Kirche und Judentum, LEKKJ) is an
Against this background, LEKKJ welcomes the issuance of Dabru Emet: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity
Baptist church
In March 1995 the
This document lists recommended actions that they asked all Christians to join them in:
- Affirming the teaching of the Christian Scriptures that God has not rejected the community of Israel, God's covenant people (Romans 11:1–2), since 'the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable' (Romans 11:29);
- Renouncing interpretations of Scripture which foster religious stereotyping and prejudice against the Jewish people and their faith;
- Seeking genuine dialogue with the broader Jewish community, a dialogue built on mutual respect and the integrity of each other's faith;
- Lifting our voices quickly and boldly against all expressions of anti-Semitism;
- Educating ourselves and others on the history of Jewish-Christian relations from the first century to the present, so as to understand our present by learning from our past.
- Commit ourselves to rigorous consideration of appropriate forms of Christian witness for our time.
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada issued a statement in May 1998 entitled "Bearing Faithful Witness: United Church-Jewish Relations Today." This calls upon Christians to:
- Stop trying to convert Jews to Christianity; Reject Biblical interpretations which negatively stereotype Jews, as this leads to anti-Semitism; Reject the idea that Christianity is superior to, or a replacement for, Judaism; recognize that anti-Semitism is an element of historic Christianity, but not an inherent part of it - therefore one can remove it from Christianity and still remain faithful to Christianity.
Bearing Faithful Witness, has continued within the Church as a study program; on August 13, 2003, the 38th General Council of The United Church of Canada received a new report from Bearing Faithful Witness; it then approved a statement on relations with Jews today. Their report states, in part, "No other religion is as closely related to Christianity as Judaism. The Christian God is the God of Israel. Jesus and all the apostles were of Israel (see
See also
- Protestantism and Islam
- Mormonism and Judaism
References
Sources
- Martin Brecht; tr. James L. Schaaf (1999). Martin Luther. 3: The Preservation of the Church, 1532–1546. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.
- Marty, Martin. Martin Luther. Viking Penguin, 2004.
- Richard Marius, Luther, London: Quartet, 1975, ISBN 0-7043-3192-6.