Nostra Aetate: A Catholic and Jewish Peace Treaty or a Spiritual Breakthrough?
Abstract
Nostra Aetate听(In Our Age) was promulgated by the Second Vatican Council on October 28, 1965 and this year鈥檚 fiftieth anniversary has witnessed many conferences devoted to celebrating it. Although its full title is 鈥淒eclaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions,鈥� the heart of the statement and its most influential component was its redefinition of the relationship between Catholics and Jews. Should it be regarded as a peace treaty between the two faiths or as spiritual breakthrough for humanity? Should it be considered in some ways as a joint declaration because so many important drafters of it were Catholics who had converted from Judaism?听 Did these converts teach the Catholic Church a fresh way of understanding Jews? Although its 624 words have met with broad acclaim, there are many issues that are in need of new insight. Among them are these: How should the Catholic Church recognize and speak with the diverse Jewish communities? Should the religious community hold the privileged position as interlocutor with Catholics? How should religious fundamentalism be addressed, especially as it influences the politics of the Middle East? Finally, how should we continue the reform of Catholic liturgical speech about Jews?
Speaker Bio
James Bernauer, S.J., a Jesuit priest, is the Kraft Family Professor at Boston College where he has been in the Philosophy Department since 1980. He is currently also Director of the听Center for Christian-Jewish Learning听at Boston College. His fields of interest include Holocaust Studies, German Jewry, and the philosophies of Michel Foucault and Hannah Arendt.
The author of many publications, his most recent book, co-edited with Robert Maryks is听"The Tragic Couple鈥�: Encounters Between Jews and Jesuits听(2014) He is also the author of 鈥淭he Flawed Vision in Claude Lanzmann鈥檚听Shoah听and the Corrective Lens of Pierre Sauvage鈥� in听Through a Lens Darkly: Films of Genocide, Ethnic Cleansing and Atrocities听(2013); "Secular Self-Sacrifice: On Michel Foucault's Courses at the Coll猫ge de France," in听Michel Foucault: The Legacy听(2009); "A Catholic Conversation with Hannah Arendt."听Friends on the Way: Jesuits Encounter Contemporary Judaism听(2007). "Philosophizing After the Holocaust,"听Jesuit Postmodern: Scholarship, Vocation, and Identity in the 21st Century听(2006). His current research project is a study of Jesuits and Jews during the period of the Holocaust.
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Event Photos
Boston College philosophy professor James Bernauer, S.J. speaking about Catholic-Jewish relations in light of the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aeate at a Boisi Center luncheon on October 14, 2015.
Photos by MTS photography
Event Recap
In honor of the 50th anniversary of听Nostra Aetate, Boston College professor of philosophy James Bernauer, SJ, spoke at the Boisi Center on October 14. This groundbreaking encyclical explores the Catholic Church鈥檚 relationship with other faith traditions. In particular, it discusses the Church鈥檚 relationship with members of the Jewish faith and rejects the charge that Jews are responsible for killing Christ.听Nostra Aetate听formalizes the growing solidarity between these two Abrahamic faiths and condemns anti-semitism.
Bernauer, also director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at BC, began the luncheon by describing Pope Francis鈥� role in promoting interfaith dialogue. He highlighted Pope Francis鈥� address to members of the International Council for Christians and Jews in Rome in June. At the council, the pope acknowledged the importance of听Nostra Aetate听for the Church.
Bernauer then described the development of听Nostra Aetate, from the International Conference of Christians and Jews that took place in Seelisberg, Switzerland in 1947 to its official promulgation in late 1965. He highlighted the landmark encounter between Rabbi Abraham Heschel and Cardinal Augustin Bea in 1963. In addition, Bernauer noted that a few of Bea鈥檚 advisors were Jewish converts to Catholicism. These individuals, along with discussions with Jewish leaders, influenced Bea鈥檚 formulation of the document. While the Holocaust is never mentioned in听Nostra Aetate, Bernauer maintained that the text was written in part because of a growing recognition of the atrocity.
Bernauer emphasized that听Nostra Aetate听continues to provide a foundation for Jewish-Christian relations today, even 50 years after its release.
Read More
Books
Connelly, John.听.听(Harvard University Press, 2012).听
Fredericks, James L.听.听(Palgrave Macmillan, 2015).听
Kessler, Edward.听.听(Cambridge University Press, 2010).
Articles
National Jewish Scholars Project in the听Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies,听"A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity."
Second Vatican Council, "."
In the News
In late Septemer, 2015,听听in Philadelphia and blessed the recently dedicated 鈥淪ynagoga and Ecclesia in Our Time鈥� statue which commemorates the 50th听anniversary of听Nostra Aetate. In his听听at the Boisi Center,听James Bernauer, SJ听will speak on the relationship between Catholics and Jews in the wake of the declaration.
According to an article published by the听, 听students, faculty, and staff from over six Catholic colleges gathered in Rockhurst University, a Jesuit-run university in Kanas, MO on September 3 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's declaration. Next month at the Boisi Center, BC Philosophy professor听James Bernauer听will consider the broader relationship between Jews and Catholics in light of the 50th Anniversary of听Nostra Aetate.
Boston College senior Molly Boigon, recently published听, a Jesuit Catholic university.