Yoram Hazony Weighs In on Media Distortion of Vatican Conversion Policy Towards Jews

posted by Jewishisrael.com

Dr. Yoram Hazony, a prominent Jewish scholar in the fields of philosophy, theology, and political theory, has written a critical analysis of the recent Vatican document on Catholic-Jewish relations which was misrepresented and misinterpreted in a virtual media blitz. The article, "What the Vatican Didn’t Say—And What It Did", was published on the TorahMusings website.

Deeming the media spin "an outrageous mistake", Dr. Hazony’s analysis needs to be read in full by those who are still under the false impression that the Vatican announced an historic and revolutionary policy change regarding the conversion of the Jews.

Dr. Hazony is unsettled by other issue with the document. Similar to Professor David Berger's and Rabbi Sholom Gold's recent citing of Rav J.B. Solovietchik's concerns with regards to expectations to reciprocate or trade favors in theological discussions with Christians, Dr. Hazony expresses the following apprehension:

"Having read the Commission’s proposed affirmation of a unity between the Christian messiah and the Torah, I cannot escape the feeling that this equivalence is designed to permit some kind of syncretistic resolution of Jewish-Christian disagreements—one in which Christianity recognizes the redemptive potential of the Torah in exchange for one or another kind of Jewish acceptance of Jesus as a path to salvation."

JewishIsrael's upcoming report will shed additional light on the PR mechanism behind the misleading Vatican headlines, as well as the linkage between the recent Vatican document on Jewish-Christian relations and the so-called "Orthodox Rabbinic Statement on Christianity".

In the interim, we strongly suggest that the recent opinions of Dr. Yoram Hazony, Professor David Berger and Rabbi Dr. Sholom Gold be read and considered....more