Rabbis term church a divine 'partner'
A statement by a group of Orthodox rabbis calls Christianity part of a divine plan in which God would have Jews and Christians work together to redeem the world.
Signing the document released in December were 28 rabbis from the United States, Israel, and Europe, mostly from the more liberal wing of the most traditional branch of Judaism. The statement marks a turning point for Orthodox Jews, who until now have limited interfaith cooperation to working on social, economic, and political causes.
“We acknowledge that Christianity is neither an accident nor an error, but the willed divine outcome and gift to the nations,” asserts the seven-paragraph statement. “In separating Judaism and Christianity, God willed a separation between partners with significant theological differences, not a separation between enemies.”
