The Jewish-Christian Dialogue as it changed Theology

The proceedings document the interdisciplinary conference attended by top-class experts and held at the University of Graz in April of 2014 within the framework of a project lead by Irmtraud Fischer und sponsored by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) researching Jewish- Christian Bible weeks in Austria and Germany after 1945 and the influence of that dialogue on theological studies. In this publication, Protestant, Catholic and Jewish experts representing various fields of theological expertise such as Old and New Testament studies, liturgical studies, feminist and systematic theology as well as Jewish studies trace the transformation with regard to Judaism and the Hebrew Bible beginning in Christian theology after 1945, which indubitably marked a paradigm shift. The volume combines the following contributions: I. Perspectives from Jewish studies: Günter Stemberger addresses the historical predecessors of a Jewish-Christian encounter. Gerhard Langer sheds light on those aspects of Jewish-Christian interaction that are discussed within the context of source-oriented research in Jewish studies. Johann Maier illuminates the biblical text corpus in the light of the Jewish understanding of it. II. Perspectives from biblical studies: Erhard Blum traces three variations of Christo- exegetical conceptions of a postulated end of the history of Israel. On the example of biblical hermeneutics and the question of the image of God, Gerlinde Baumann undertakes in-depth analyses. Johannes Marböck sketches personal experiences in dealing with the Old Testament up through the realization of the lasting intrinsic value of the Bible of Israel. Marie Theres Wacker traces the stations of her orientation towards Jewish-Christian topics, which found its expression especially in the examination of Christo-feminist anti-Judaism. With regard to the interpretation of the New Testament, Klaus Wengst makes a case for an unlimited perception of New Testament texts in the their Jewish context of origin. Hubert Frankemölle recapitulates a diverse intertwining of various personal levels of experience of the Jewish-Christian conversation spanning five decades. III. Perspectives from liturgical studies: Peter Ebenbauer traces the liturgical reforms in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, and Albert Gerhards subjects the new 2013 edition of the the Catholic prayer and song book Gotteslob to critical analysis. IV. Systematic-ecumenical perspectives: Bertold Klappert raises questions as to whether and how a profound change in the sense of ecumenical-theological repositioning with regard to Israel has taken place in systematic theology. Hans Hermann Henrix searches for incidences of Judaism in statements of ecumenical theology. From a Jewish perspective, Simon Lauer covers a wide rage of time and content out of Christian (particularly protestant) exegeses dating from the 19th century up through the apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini. Josef Wohlmuths contribution addresses the latest dogmatical developments in the Catholic Church: Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. The collective volume offers the valuable documentation of contemporary witnesses while simultaneously serving as a well-thought-out piece of theological history, portraying the paradigm shift from an anti-Jewish polemic to a respectful dialogue with Judaism.