Documentary History of Jewish-Christian Relations: From Ancient Times to the Present Day

The Documentary History is the first comprehensive attempt to gather up to 200 key primary documents, which shed light not only on the theological context, but also on the social, political, economic and other contexts, which are central to Jewish–Christian relations. Each of the selected documents is followed by a commentary and the volume, to be published by Cambridge University Press in 2023, will be a systematic and authoritative single-volume work on the encounter between Jews and Christians. It reflects massive changes of attitude and approach to the question of Jewish–Christian relations, particularly since the beginning of modern Zionism and the Christian rediscovery of a more constructive relationship with Jews and Judaism in the late 19th century, the establishment of the State of Israel (1948), and Vatican II (1965) and its consequences, including Jewish responses.

Through the use of carefully chosen primary sources, the book will take the reader on a documentary journey through this mutually entangled and often difficult history and will contribute to a better understanding between Jews and Christians as well as providing a starting point for further research.

As well as Ed Kessler (co-editing the volume with Neil Wenborn), leading academics in the field are contributing:

Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1. The New Testament: 1st to early 2nd centuries

Chapter 2. The Church Fathers: Eastern and Western writings until 9th century

Chapter 3. Rabbinic Literature: 3rd to 9th centuries

Chapter 4. The Medieval Period to the Reformation: 10th to 15th centuries

Chapter 5. From the Reformation to the Enlightenment: 16th to 18th centuries

Chapter 6. The Rise of Antisemitism to Early Zionism: 1800–1914

Chapter 7. From World War One to the Holocaust: 1914–1945

Chapter 8. The State of Israel to the Election of Pope John Paul II: 1945–1978

Chapter 9. The Flourishing of Jewish–Christian Dialogue: 1978 to the present day

Appendices, bibliography, glossary, maps, timelines

With thanks to the generous support of the British Academy and the Headley Trust.