A terrible burden of evil, suffering and forgiveness
Rabbi Jonathan Romain reviews the Bishop of Oxford's new book, After the Evil, which engages with the part Christians have played in the past suffering of the Jews.
When the famous Jewish artist Marc Chagnall painted his interpretation of the Crucifixion, it was not Jesus who was stretched out on the cross, but the entire Jewish people.
It may be a painful thought for committed Christians, but for many Jews it has seemed that Jesus was not a saviour but the source of generations' worth of misery. This is because of the anti-Jewish persecutions carried out in Jesus' name and which, it could be argued, culminated in the Holocaust. When some Christian leaders went in person to Hitler to protest against the mistreatment of the Jews, he replied, "Why do you complain? I am only following through on what you have taught for centuries." It is this terrible burden that Richard Harries seeks to address. How can Christians today face this legacy in terms of their own faith? And how should it influence the way they relate to Judaism itself?
Jewish-Christian dialogue
Despite the unpleasant naature of such questions, the book is an optimistic one, and benefits from Harries' lifelong commitment to Jewish-Christian dialogue, along with his easy familiarity with both Christian and Jewish sources on the issues of evil, suffering and forgiveness. What stands out in particular is Harries' refusal to avoid the difficult issues that arise and confront them directly and intelligently.
Convert the Jews?
He asks whether Christians should convert Jews and concludes that the answer must be 'no'. This is not because it is not politically correct to do so, but because it is not religiously necessary. The primal covenant, he argues, is between God and humanity, and although Christians see this as expressed in the person of Jesus, others respond to that same covenant with different voices, which are equally valid. Whilst Harries would certainly welcome Jews into the Church, he sees no need for active mission directed at them and would ask any prospective convert if they had explored their own religious heritage fully before seeking to adopt a new one.
Is the Bible antisemitic?
My one regret was that Harries raises but only briefly touches on what is perhaps the mosty controversial question of all; whether it is not just Church teachings that have caused anti-semitism, but the very text of the New Testament? It is all very well having fine books such as this one which explain why Judaism should be valued as the "elder brother", but many more Christians will read passages in Matthew and John disparaging Jews and cannot but be influenced by them. Omitting such texts would be highly desirable but totally unthinkable. It means that there is a heavy responsibilty upon Church leaders today to stress the spirit of harmony between Jews and Christians that is now replacing a much darker past. This book - highly recommended - is one such step.
Dr Jonathan Romain is Rabbi at Maidenhead Synagogue.
After the Evil , by the Rt Revd Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford, is published by Oxford University Press at £16.99.
