The Uniting Church in Australia
Discussion Paper for Presbyteries and Congregations
on relationships between Christians and Jews.

The 2003 Assembly has commissioned this discussion paper as a means whereby congregations and presbyteries might consider the issue of the UCA's ongoing relationship with the Jewish people and with Judaism. The paper includes questions for thought and talk interspersed through the text. The authors suggest that groups consider the questions in the order they appear, and write responses on the attached response sheet. The responses are to be returned to the Synod of Victoria's Working Group on Christian-Jewish Relations (see below) by 30th September, 2005.

After the Working Group receives responses to this discussion paper, a public statement regarding the UCA's relationship with the Jewish people and Judaism will be prepared and presented to the 2006 Assembly.

The relationship between Christians and Jews has been one fraught with difficulty throughout the church's history. It is imperative that we acknowledge this, and move on to a mutually respectful and positive future, as two peoples of the one God.

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'HOW ODD OF GOD TO CHOOSE THE JEWS!'*

Karl Barth (1886-1968) was arguably the most influential Protestant theologian of the 20th century. Time magazine (June 25, 1965) reported this memorable comment on Christians and Jews:

"Jews have God's promise and if we Christians have it too,

then it is only as those chosen with them, as guests in their

house, that we are new wood grafted onto their tree."

In 1997 the UCA Perth Assembly adopted a formal statement on our relationship with Jews and Judaism. It was called "a statement inviting the Uniting Church to dialogue with the Jewish community". A video called "From the Cross to the Swastika", and discussion material on it and the statement were commended to our people. Since then a number of events have touched on relations between Christians and Jews

In 1999 the Council of Christians and Jews (Vic) published "Re-reading Paul", a sequel to its "Rightly Explaining the Word of Truth" (1995). "Re-reading Paul" dealt with the Jewish context of early Christianity and clarified the apostle's position - which has been commonly misunderstood. Modern biblical scholarship has helped us to understand the context in which the New Testament was written, plus the difference between antisemitism and anti-Jewish statements in the texts. These reflect religious tension that existed between Jews who followed Jesus and Jews who did not follow Jesus.

There has been continuing escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For many in the UCA and other churches, and many in the Jewish community, relationships have been complicated by this. Separating discussion of Jewish-Christian relations from critique of socio-political issues in a secular state (Israel) can be difficult.

Terrorism has become a major threat to global security. Many of the players are Muslim, although they are disowned by the mainstream of Islam. Nonetheless, this phenomenon makes it more urgent that we pursue conversations with Muslims in our neighbourhood and nation.

Religious fundamentalism, commonly expressed in religious 'fanaticism', exists worldwide, and is found in all faith traditions. The three great Abrahamic faiths (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) are not immune. Each of them needs to deal with movements within it that denigrate other faiths and foment hostility.

Specifically, there are movements in Christianity seeking to convert Jews. They believe Jews are 'unsaved' until they become Christian, and that God's wish is their mass conversion. Then Jesus will be able to return and wind up history. Not surprisingly, some Jews are highly suspicious of Christian 'friendliness'!

QUESTION 1:

Do you think it is practicable, when 'antisemitism' is said

to be on the rise, for the UCA to separate discussion of inter-faith matters

from critique of the situation in Israel/Palestine?

In light of matters like those sketched above, our pursuing the relationship between Christians and Jews, Christianity and Judaism, can be quite delicate. But it cannot be avoided. We need to be reminded of the following:

* 'Theological' issues in the relationship are not irrelevant to socio-political issues in Israel/Palestine. However, they are independent of this situation. Both call for equal attention, especially during times of pessimism about chances of peace.

* The importance of the UCA (and other churches) working on the relationship with Jews and Judaism is in no way diminished or neutralised by the need to develop a healthy relationship with Muslims and with Islam.

* Members of the UCA, in seeking a richer relationship with the Jewish people, need to be clear about rejecting movements in Christianity that set out to convert Jews.

But why this last statement? The answer probably lies in the words from Karl Barth with which we began. The Jewish people since earliest recorded times have seen themselves as 'chosen' - not because they are uniquely virtuous, but because God had a role for them. This was to live according to, and to promote, the most exalted form of 'ethical monotheism' the ancient world had ever seen.

Talking about ourselves as 'chosen' can evoke responses like *W. N. Ewer's "How odd of God to choose the Jews!" Some add the words, "It is not so odd, the Jews chose God", putting a slightly different spin on things. To those who see all this as a bit presumptuous on the part of the Jewish people, and say so, one modern Jew has answered, "If he hadn't so presumed, you gentiles would be doomed!" The point in all this is that our faith originates with a Jewish preacher from the Galilee.

QUESTION 2:

Have you ever thought about the 'Jewishness' of Jesus?

This person stood in the tradition of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses, and the prophets Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah. He was crucified around the year 30 by a Roman government and army of occupation. The events surrounding him had repercussions neither he nor his people would have foreseen. They did indeed turn the world upside down. Some years ago a meeting of the Council of Christians and Jews (Vic) was addressed by Professor Zwi Werblowski, from Jerusalem's Hebrew University. Werblowski said, "It matters little to us what you call him. You can call him 'messiah', 'saviour', 'divine' if you wish. But whatever you call him, you and we know that with the coming of this person into history, religious thinking underwent a quantum shift!"

Jews do not expect us to repudiate our own faith, and dialogue is most fruitful when it takes place between people who know where they stand. But neither do Jews want us to tell them they must repudiate their faith to 'get right' with God! To take a word from Paragraph 3 of the UCA's BASIS OF UNION, they have been a 'pilgrim' people longer than we. They believed themselves called into a 'covenant' with the Eternal One, and there is no reason for us to think this covenant has been revoked. That would be to say God was unfaithful! Indeed, Paul says, "All Israel will be saved; as it is written, 'Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob' . . . . . for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

The UCA rejects the presumption implicit in saying that Jews (or for that matter, any other people of faith) are somehow outside the love and grace of the Eternal One. And so, we reiterate our distance as a church from those movements that seek to make Jews into Christians.

We affirm the freedom of any individual to change his or her religious identity. The fact that some elect to change their religion is a sign of an open society, of vital religious communities and also that individuals take their spirituality seriously. But our conviction of God's continuing faithfulness to God's creation has a clear implication: any activity focussed on converting Jews to Christianity denies God's faithfulness to the Sinai covenant. We can have no part of that.

QUESTION 3:

How do you understand the relationship between God and Judaism?

Prepared by the Working Group on Christian-Jewish Relations of the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. All correspondence to the Chair, the Rev Dr Lorraine Parkinson, 52 Winters Way, Doncaster, VIC 3108, parki@netspace.net.au

Resources for the questions may be found on the Working Group Web site: www.wgcjr.unitingchurch.org.au/ Information kits on 'Antisemitism and the Church' are available from the Rev George Grant, 829 High Street, East Kew, VIC 3102 ggrant@bigpond.net.au