Opening the Covenant

Since Vatican II, Catholic and mainstream Protestant churches have been rethinking their positions in Jews and Judaism. Former supersessionist views have been replaced with acceptance of the Jewish claim that the Covenant between God and Israel is still in force and is, in fact, eternal. In recent years, some Jewish thinkers have responded with limited reevaluations of Christianity.

Michael Kogan here argues that the time has come for Judaism to look into its own texts so as to achieve a deeper self-understanding by developing new and positive approach to its sister faith. Kogan sees Christianity as the breaking open of the original Covenant to include gentile peoples. God has brought this about, says Kogan, through the work of Jesus and his interpreters. If Christianity is a divinely intended movement, then Judaism must reevaluate its truth claims. This will in no way compromise the truth of Judaism itself but will cause Jews to understand their own faith more fully by locating it inthe larger context of God's universal redemptive plan.

The book build and expands upon an article entitled 'Toward A Jewish Theology of Christianity', published in the journal of Ecumenical Studies. It should be of great interest to all involved in interfaith dialogue and mark an important not just mutual respect but mutual influence and ultimately mutual enlightment.