Vol. 11 No. 1 JANUARY 1997
Ignorance kills
The Editor
How are things between Jews and Christians today?
Remi Hoeckman OP
Jews and Christians have often in the past looked at one another with a mutual contempt based on an abysmal ignorance of each other. The Second Vatican Council reminded Christians of the spiritual bond which links us to the Jews. Remi Hoeckman, a Belgian Dominican who is secretary of the Vatican Commission on Jewish-Christian Relations, shows that we need to learn how to reach out to one another in spite of the past.
A Jewish perspective
Jonathan Gorsky
Jonathan Gorsky who is educational officer at the Council of Christians and Jews, notes that Christian-Jewish dialogue is still in its infancy and comments upon the fact that we find it difficult to understand the religious constructs of a faith with which we are unfamiliar, for instance, Jewish law. 'Achieving normality in Jewish-Christian relations will take time and demands immense patience.'
The Jewishness of Jesus
Mary Kelly NDS
To deepen our understanding of Jesus we need to set him against the culture of his own people. Mary Kelly, who is a Sister of Sion based at the study centre for Christian-Jewish Relations in London, shows how the Jewish institutions and customs of his time helped to make Jesus the man that he was.
Let us worship at the feast
Kieran Heskin
Our Christian lives are shaped by the great feasts of the liturgical year such as Easter and Pentecost. Kieran Heskin, who is a Vicar General of the Diocese of Leeds and a member of the Committee for Cathlolic-Jewish Relations of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, describes the Semitic and Jewish background of Christian feasts. We should remember 'that these liturgies are the forerunners of ours'.
'Within your gates, O Jerusalem'
Christopher Lightbound
Pilgrimages are a time to reflect. Mgr Christopher Lightbound, who is Vicar General of the Diocese of Shrewsbury and parish priest of St Mary of the Angels at Childer Thornton, South Wirral, joined priests of his ordination year for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Rome recently to mark their fortieth anniversary. Here he shares his thoughts on what he saw and what changes had taken place since he visited Jerusalem nearly forty years before.
St John: Mapping the world of the Spirit
Thomas Brodie OP
Thomas Brodie, who teaches scripture in Ireland and the United States has recently published two books, The Gospel According to John (OUP,1993),and The Quest for the Origin of John's Gospel (OUP 1993), presents the first of two articles in which he shows how St John offers us in his Gospel a map of the human spirit, 'the way in which in conjunction with Jesus and the Church, people journey towards believing - or not believing'.
Preaching and teaching the Word
Angela Wills
Angela Wills, who has taught scripture for adult education at Birkbeck College, London, offers her reflections on the lectionary readings for the Sundays of February and Ash Wednesday.
New Testament Chronicle
Henry Wansbrough OSB
Fr Henry Wansbrough, Master of St Benet Hall, Oxford, offers his annual review of books on the New Testament. This year it begins with the important document of the Pontifical Biblical Commission on the interpretation of scripture.
Postscript: New shoots of growth
Vicky Cosstick
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