The Jewish People, the Holy Land, and the State of Israel: A Catholic View

Over 40 years have passed since the Vatican Council II’s groundbreaking declaration, Nostra Aetate, on the relationship between the church and the Jewish people. Gathering together the fruits of this dialogue, the author reflects on new possibilities and new directions for this relationship at the beginning of the new millennium. The book begins with the history and development of church teaching from supercessionism to post-Vatican Council II’s developments. Chapter Two traces the paradigm shift in Pauline studies, two-covenant versus one-covenant theories, and a new one-covenant model of the Christian-Jewish relationship. Chapter Three views the Holy Land through the lenses of pilgrimage experiences and sacramental theology to propose a new view of Christ’s presence in the Holy Land. Chapter Four discusses the significance of the land for Palestinian Christians and Palestinian Muslims and their attachment to it. Chapter Five proposes a new Catholic theological model for understanding the modern State of Israel. The last chapter deals with some possible objections to these new ways of thinking. †