Greenberg, Irving, For the Sake of Heaven and Earth
The New Encounter between Judaism and Christianity

For the Sake of Heaven and Earth
The New Encounter between Judaism and Christianity

by Rabbi Irving Greenberg

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Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2004
274 pp., paper, $20.00

Rabbi Irving Greenberg, a veteran participant in Jewish-Christian dialogue, recounts in the extensive autobiographical essay that introduces this volume the dramatic story of how his faith as an Orthodox Jew was impacted by two decisive encounters: first, with the Shoah, largely through research at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial and study center in Jerusalem; and secondly, with Christianity. The latter began in a framework of anger at the record of Christian complicity in antisemitism down through the centuries, but eventuated in an appreciation of how some Christians, at least, were repenting of this history and daring to re-shape Christian teaching accordingly. Greenberg now sees the two faiths as "covenantal partners," sharing the divinely-mandated task of tikkun olam (healing the world).

Following the autobiographical reflection are eight essays, one new for this volume and the others reprints of pivotal lectures and articles on the subject published by Greenberg over the past almost forty years. The book concludes with brief essays by five scholars, one Jewish and four Christian (see below), commenting on the significance of Greenberg"s work and expressing great appreciation for it.

Franklin Sherman

 

 

Contents

 

 

 

Preface

 

 

 

Acknowledgements

 

 

 

Part I - Looking Forward

 

 

1. On the Road to a New Encounter between Judaism and Christianity: A Personal Journey

 

2. Covenantal Partners in a Postmodern World

 

 

 

Part II - Looking Backward

 

 

3. The New Encounter of Judaism and Christianity (1967)

 

4. New Revelations and New Patterns (1979)

 

5. Toward an Organic Model of the Relationship (1986)

 

6. The Respective Roles of the Two Faiths in the Strategy of Redemption (1997)

 

7. Covenantal Pluralism (1997)

 

8. Pluralism and Partnership (1999)

 

9. Covenants of Redemption (2000)

 

 

 

Index

 

 

 

Reflections

Responsive essays by James Carroll, David Novak, Michael Novak, Mary C. Boys, and Krister Stendahl

 

 

 

Study Guide