STUMBLING BLOCKS TO STEPPING STONES THE TORAH AS A KEY TO JEWISH-CHRISTIAN RECONCILIATION: A NEW MODEL A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR IN PHILOSOPHY 2019 BY JULIA ZAHRA WISDOM MCKINLEY IRISH SCHOOL OF ECUMENICS 01001221 DECLARATION I declare that this dissertation has not been submitted as an exercise for a degree at this or any other university, and that it is entirely my work. I agree that the Library may lend or copy this dissertation on request. Signed:_________________________ Date________________ (Julia Zahra Wisdom McKinley) DEDICATION For my Teachers. My grandmothers. Earl Williams. Nancy Rambin. D’vorah. David and Andrew Silcox. Rabbi Alan Ullman. And Grandpa John. All the flowers of all the tomorrows, are in the seeds of today. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to acknowledge and express my thanks for the constant support and encouragement of the staff at the Irish School of Ecumenics. There is always a kind smile and a welcome cup of coffee. In particular, I wish to thank my supervisor Dr. Andrew Pierce for always having ‘just the right book’ to hand, and for taking on a difficult task. Also, my thanks to Prof. Geraldine Smyth for her warm encouragement in the early days, and for giving me the steps to begin. And Prof. Mike Cowan for wisdom and inspiration, and for ‘seeing’ potential in this project and thereby enabling it. I also wish to thank my family. For extreme patience and boundless support. Philip, for being my ezer k’negdo when I needed it most, and being so accommodating with the endless accumulation of books. Cameron, Izzy and Eva for leaving little surprise notes in my books and for being so supportive and always asking questions. My mom and dad, for truly believing this could be accomplished, and their combined efforts with my parents-in-law for hours of endless babysitting, lifts and keeping the children fed. Jane, for always being a proud aunt. My sister Sophia for her love and passion, and sacrifice of giving up her time to be a nanny. My brother Alex for an unending supply of hugs, and my sister Naomi - my kindred spirit. And Clara, whose own love of reading made this endeavour possible and who was so excited when this project began. How I wish you were here to read it. An eternal thank you to Rabbi Alan for stoking the embers of passion for Torah study, and opening up the text in a way I never dreamed possible. My thanks to the Friedman and Berkowitz clans, particularly David, Beni, Ariel and Yo’el. Noah Ullman. Margaret Kehoe. Robert Harrison. My friends for support, prayers, kind words and cards. There are many whose questions and encouragement made this endeavour possible, and to be able to study at all and write and ponder is a gift, let alone to have the opportunity to reflect deeply on something that resonates in my own soul. I am thankful for those women in particular who have gone before me, who paved the way and on whose shoulders the women of this generation stand. May our own daughters find our shoulders so worthy. My then eight year old son Cameron’s words, “I think Judaism and Christianity seem a bit like science and baking”, provided much impetus for the conception of this study. SUMMARY “The Bible both connects and separates Jews and Christians”.1 This statement acknowledges the historical reality that the Bible has separated Jews and Christians in aspects of theological interpretation and application. It also recognises that there are different interpretive traditions between the two communities which distinguish them from each other, and this distinctiveness is to be respected. And yet simultaneously, the Bible connects Jews and Christians into a body of shared sacred texts which offer a glimpse into the deep past, while at the same time possessing an eternal sensibility which renders its ancient echoes to be as relevant for the unfolding future as they are for the present. Drawing inspiration from Nostra Aetate, which re-visioned the relationship between Catholics and Jews in part through the reassessment of certain scriptures, this thesis seeks to reframe the Jewish-Christian relationship with the Torah as its central touchstone. It is the primary claim of this thesis that the Torah, no matter how differently it is seen or understood, can be an authentic, foundational and shared starting point from where Christians and Jews can begin, refresh, or even contemplate a journey of reconciliation toward one another. The intent of this project is to develop a new model or ‘mode’ for reconnection between Christians and Jews. This model effectively demonstrates that the Torah, sacred in different ways to both Jews and Christians, offers a unique vantage point to 1 Point 5 from the 2002 publication, A Sacred Obligation: Rethinking Christian Faith in Relation to Judaism and the Jewish People. See https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/research_sites/cjl/sites/partners/ csg/Sacred_Obligation.htm, retrieved March 11 2017 the Jewish-Christian relationship. Certain dynamics within the Jewish-Christian relationship which appeared to be impediments or hurdles, are seen in a different light. Actively engaging in the study of sacred text in a cross-community context is the fundamental suggestion offered through this thesis. It is hoped this type of engagement would deepen the dimensions of a relationship between Christians and Jews, which finds its starting point in a mutual desire for reconciliation, and a commitment to witness shalom to a hurting world. The Torah becomes vitally significant, even essential, to this unfolding reconciliation. In short ‘stumbling blocks’ become ‘stepping stones’ as that which was seen to curb the relationship, transforms into the very mechanism by which the relationship is cultivated. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS BAR Biblical Archaeological Review BDB F. Brown, S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament BH Biblical Hebrew CE Common Era DE Dabru Emet DSS Dead Sea Scrolls GK Greek HB Hebrew Bible JPS Jewish Publication Society Bible LXX The Septuagint MT Masoretic Text 4QMMT Miqsat Ma’ase ha-Torah NA Nostra Aetate NKJV New King James Version NPP New Perspective on Paul NT New Testament NRSV New Revised Standard Version OT Old Testament CONTENTS DECLARATION DEDICATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SUMMARY LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CONTENTS PREAMBLE 1 INTRODUCTION 4 I. THE TORAH AS A KEY TO JEWISH-CHRISTIAN RECONCILIATION 4 II. FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH 12 II.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 12 II.2 LINGUA SACRA: BIBLICAL HEBREW IN THE 15 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH II.3 MODE OF INQUIRY 20 II.3.1 HERMENEUTICAL DEW: A TEXTUAL APPROACH 21 II.3.2 ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION 25 III. METAPHOR AS A TOOL FOR THIS THESIS 27 III.1 FROM THE DEEP: METAPHOR AS A WAY OF SPEAKING 27 ABOUT GOD III.1.1 THE UNFATHOMABLE ABYSS 31 IV. STRUCTURE OF THESIS 34 V. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH 37 V.1 CHALLENGES AND OBJECTIVES 40 V.2 POTENTIAL WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THIS RESEARCH 42 CHAPTER ONE 46 DEFINING OUR TERMS 46 I. INTRODUCTION 46 II. CHRISTIANS AND JEWS: THE DEEPEST OTHER 48 II.1 SUPERSESSIONISM: A BARRIER TO RECONCILIATION 54 II.1.1 THE CHALLENGE OF SUPERSESSIONISM 56 II.2 BONES AND RIBS: Genesis 2: 20-23 61 II.3 MUTUAL NEED: DETERMINING THE NEED FOR THE 63 OTHER Ezer K’Negdo 66 ֵ֖עזֶר ְכּנֶגְ ֽדּוֹ :II.3.1 DEVELOPING PARTNERSHIP II.3.2 PARTNERSHIP AND COVENANT 67 III. DEFINITIONS 71 III.1 BORDERS AND BARRIERS 72 III.2 DOORS AND DOORWAYS 75 III.2.1 KAFKA AND THE DOORKEEPERS 77 III.3 KEYS 78 III.4 LENSES 79 IV. TORAH 82 IV.1 TORAH: HEBREW BIBLE OR OLD TESTAMENT? 83 IV.1.1 THE GENRE OF TORAH 87 IV.2 TORAH: A SHARED STARTING POINT 89 IV.3 TORAH: A FIRM FOUNDATION 93 IV.4 TORAH: CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHERNESS 94 V. CONCLUSION 96 CHAPTER TWO 99 ROOTS AND SEEDS: HISTORICAL DYNAMICS IN THE JEWISH-CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIP I. INTRODUCTION 99 II. THE TORAH: A POINT OF ROTATION BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND 102 JEWS II.1 THE TORAH: TERRA INCOGNITA OF CHRISTIANITY 103 II.1.1 A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP 107 II.2 THE RESURRECTION OF MARCION 110 II.2.1 ROOT CAUSES 112 II.3 THE SECOND CENTURY 116 III. THE CHURCH FATHERS 118 III.1 THE ‘OLD LEAVEN’: IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH 121 III.2 JUSTIN AND TRYPHO 123 III.3 SWARMS OF MARCIONITES 125 III.4 AUGUSTINE, AND MELITO OF SARDIS: THE POET OF 126 DEICIDE III.4.1 THE WITNESS-PEOPLE 129 III.5 THE ‘GOLDEN MOUTH’ OF JOHN CHRYSOSTOM 131 III.6 DIVIDING THE LAW 132 IV. THE CHANGING TIDE IN JEWISH CHRISTIAN RELATIONS 135 IV.1 MISSING LINKS 136 IV.2 DORMANT SEEDS 139 IV.2.1 THE REVISION OF CHURCH TEACHING 142 V. CONCLUSION 148 CHAPTER THREE 149 OPEN SPACES: THE TORAH AS A KEY TO SACRED RECONCILIATION - A NEW MODEL I. INTRODUCTION: THE INTENTION OF THIS MODEL 149 I.1 THE TORAH AS A KEY 151 II. THE TORAH: A MULTI-FACETED DOCUMENT 153 II.1 TORAH AS TEACHING 156 II.2 TORAH AS COVENANT 158 II.3 TORAH AS KETUBAH 162 II.4 THE TORAH: ONE DOCUMENT OR A SERIES OF SOURCES? 164 III. SACRED OPENINGS: CONSTRUCTING THE MODEL THROUGH 168 SACRED TEXT III.1 OPENINGS 169 III.2 SACRED KEYS AND SPACES 170 III.2.1 DOORS/OPENINGS OF HOPE: Hosea 2:14-15 172 IV. THROUGH A CLEAR GLASS: SEEING THROUGH SACRED TEXT 175 IV.1 REFLECTIONS: James 1:23 and 1 Corinthians 13:12 176 IV.2 MOLTEN MIRRORS: Job 37:18 179 IV.3 LEARNING TO SEE: Genesis 1:4 182 IV.3.1 BEING SEEN: Genesis 16: 7-1 185 IV.4 GAZING THROUGH WINDOWS: Song of Songs 2:9 and Genesis 6:16 187 IV.4.1 RECOGNITION: Exodus 3:7 190 IV.4.2 APPEARANCES: Genesis 3: 6-7 and Exodus 3:1-10 192 V.