Jewish-Christian Dialogue: Differences and the Historical Jesus

For us, the relationship with Judaism is fundamental, but it is asymmetric, in the sense that we Christians need Judaism to understand the roots from which the Christian story was born— they do not need us.

Yet I think it is valuable, right? I mean, um, to hold on to these questions and also the struggle, because there is a substantial difference, you were saying, right?

Of course. We are different, we are decidedly different. It is true that it is an asymmetric relationship.

First of all, we Catholics have, how shall I put it, a, a structure, uh, that Judaism does not have.

In Judaism, there is no central authority.

So you will always find open-minded Jews with whom dialogue is fantastic, wonderful, while others— who are absolutely not interested, others who, um, simply don't want anything to do with the Christian world for religious reasons, historical reasons, the Shoah and so on,

um, the persecutions. So it will rem— it will always be this way. The expectation of having an equal relationship cannot work because they are two completely different structures. But that doesn't mean one cannot engage in dialogue.

We engage in dialogue with those who are open.

Of course, also because in recent decades, research, for example, Jewish exegesis has focused some attention on the historical Jesus, right?

I mean, I think more than in the past...

Absolutely. When I was studying the Bible at the Hebrew University, there was a Department of Christian Studies.

In my Department of Biblical Studies, um, where, um, there was, there were courses on the New Testament And, and how, uh, and it was imp— for them, it was very interesting to see how the New Testament helped understand the Judaism of the time, the traditions of the time, and so on, you know.

Um, and also about the person of Jesus. There are many... books published in Hebrew by Jews for Jews about the figure of Jesus, some polemical, others interesting, others, uh, that, let's say, have their own perspectives.

But there is interest, certainly. Certainly.