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Editorial

Negative attitudes to Judaism began in theology. They gave rise to disastrous consequences, as the fate of the Jewish Community in Christian society bears witness: a teaching of contempt, prejudice, denial of human rights, discrimination, ghetto existence, expulsions, pogroms... In the twentieth century this history played its part in the ultimate evil of the Shoah.
More than anything else it was the shock of this catastrophe that led the Church to see the Jewish People with fresh eyes and to ask disturbing questions about her own attitude and acts in relation to them. This is having a profound influence on Christian theology. New insights into Second Temple Judaism, which is the context for Jesus and the early Church, appreciation of the religious vitality of Rabbinic Judaism, encounter with contemporary Jews and experiences of their way of life, overturned previously held theological convictions. It was seen that far from being decadent "the permanence of Israel is accompanied by a continuous spiritual fecundity, in the rabbinical period, in the Middle Ages and in modern times... so much so that the faith and religious life of the Jewish People, as they are professed and practised still today, can greatly help us (Christians) to understand better certain aspects of the life of the Church" (Notes, 1985). Jews are "the people of God of the Old Covenant which has never been revoked" and remain "a chosen people" (Notes). Supercessionist claims are rejected. The Jewish "No" to Christian claims concerning Jesus and the significance of the Christ event is taken seriously and raises questions for the Church's self-understanding. A number of theological studies have already been published.
The Sisters of Sion, meeting in General Chapter in 1986, resolved to contribute to this new theology by bringing together an international group of theologians which included religious women, lay people, clerics and Jewish scholars. Their aim is to study questions arising from the young Jewish-Christian dialogue and publish their findings. The first concern was to probe the consequences for Christian life of the statement of Pope John Paul II in Mainz in 1980 that the Jews are "...the people of God of the Old Covenant which has never been revoked..." (see Notes 1985). Reflection began locally - in Australia, Brazil, Canada-USA, Costa Rica, Europe, Middle East, UK-Ireland, where there are communities of Sion. Reports of progress were exchanged and two international meetings were held in 1989 and 1991.
The week-long 1991 meeting had several dimensions. Four carefully prepared scholarly papers were presented. Each was followed by personal reflection, small group discussions and plenary sessions. Time for joint and personal prayer was built into the programme. It is impossible to communicate through a written report the experience of true meeting (in the Martin Buber sense) that came about through these encounters. Nevertheless we are sure that readers of SIDIC will be interested in the papers read at the Conference which are published here, together with short reports of the discussions and the questions for future study. We hope this issue of SIDIC will further this reflection which is vital for the well being of Church and Society.