“Dialogue is not a compromise of faith, but an act of faith. It is not weakness, but a testimony of courage and trust in God,” said Abraham Joshua Heschel after the Church announced Nostra aetate, a groundbreaking document in the Church's relationship with Judaism. Heschel himself, an eminent philosopher and Jewish activist, actively participated in the Catholic-Jewish talks preceding the document's creation.
Nostra aetate is the “child” of the Second Vatican Council. After Pope John XXIII announced his intention to convene this assembly, it became clear that one of the issues its participants would address would be the Church's relations with non-Christian religions, including, most importantly, Judaism and the Jews.
Joshua Heschel involved in dialogue
When the papal secretary, Cardinal Augustin Bea, asked Jewish organizations to submit proposals for outlining relations between Catholics and Jews, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) chose Abraham Joshua Heschel as one of its most important theological advisors on this issue.
Heschel, a prominent figure in contemporary Jewish thought, academic lecturer, and philosopher, proved to be one of the most committed to dialogue on the Jewish side. He undoubtedly made a great contribution to the final shape of the document, which Jews around the world called an unprecedented step.
Heschel's proposals
At the suggestion of Cardinal Bea, Heschel prepared, on behalf of the AJC, the basic points that were important from the Jewish perspective. These included the rejection of proselytism towards Jews, the Church's recognition of the continuing existence of the covenant between God and Israel, the renunciation of the teaching that the Church had replaced Israel as the People of God, and the cessation of accusing Jews of deicide, which had been a cause of persecution of Jews throughout the centuries.
As Gary Spruch writes in his brochure “Abraham Joshua Heschel (AJC) and the spirit of Nostra aetate,” in 1963 Heschel met personally with Cardinal Bea in Rome. The cardinal listened attentively to the Jewish thinker's arguments against using language in the Church that described Jews as “rejected by God.”
Heschel reportedly said bluntly: “Let them not try to convert Jews. Let the Church proclaim that God has not broken his covenant with Israel. Instead, let Christians and Jews work together to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth.”
Results of the dialogue
The final version of Nostra aetate largely incorporated these demands. The 1965 declaration clearly stated that Jews cannot be blamed for the death of Jesus, that God never broke his covenant with Israel, although at the same time the Church is the new People of God, and that the Church condemns all religiously motivated persecution ever directed against Jews.
As Gary Spruch adds, “The Catholic Church took a step of unprecedented moral and spiritual significance, restoring truth to its place in the history of faith and humanity.” And Abraham Heschel, known for his restraint, wrote in a letter to friends that Nostra Aetate is “a testimony of courage, humility, and love for God, who blesses all people.”
“Listening to God together”
In response to criticism from some conservative Jewish circles regarding participation in dialogue with the Church, Heschel replied: “We do not meet to compare dogmas, but to listen together to God, who speaks to us in different languages of the same love.” He added: “Dialogue is not a compromise of faith, but an act of faith. It is not weakness, but a testimony of courage and trust in God.”
Information from Abraham Joshua Heschel (AJC) and the spirit of Nostra aetate by Gary Spruch was used.