Catholic Protestant Clerics Generally Favor Reform Judaism’s Proposal for Seeking Converts

Leading Catholic and Protestant churchmen and scholars have endorsed — with some cautionary observations — a proposal by Rabbi Alexander Schindler president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC), to seek converts to the Jewish faith among the "unchurched" or others searching for roots in religion, according to a report released here today by the UAHC, the central body of Reform Judaism in the U.S. and Canada. The proposal, which would reverse a 400-year-old Jewish tradition of not proselytizing, was advanced last December by Schindler.

The UAHC’s 180-member board then set up a task force to study the question of "bringing the message of Judaism" to any and all who wish to examine or embrace it. The task force, headed by David Belin of Des Moines convened here this weekend in conjunction with the semiannual meeting of the UAHC board of trustees. It will report to the UAHC’s General Assembly in December.

The UAHC’s Department of Interreligious Affairs made public responses to the questionnaire sent to 31 Catholic and Protestant theologians. Eighteen responded. None of the four Fundamentalist or Evangelical representatives who were sent the questionnaire answered.

Rabbi Balfour Brickner, the department’s director, asked four questions. They were: whether missionary efforts imply a superiority of one religion over another; whether there are "differences between the efforts of … fringe groups and the posture of mission of your denomination"; whether Schindler’s call legitimizes Christian missionary efforts; and do missionary efforts directed at the "unchurched" affect interreligious relations.

TWO-WAY STREET CITED

The responses received by Brickner were overwhelmingly favorable to the proposal Many of them made the point that an outreach program to non-Jews would strengthen self-understanding and identification among members of the Jewish community and that Schindler’s call demonstrated the vitality of Judaism and the Jewish community in this country.

The Christian leaders also praised Schindler for not seeking to imply a superiority of Judaism over other faiths. None indicated concern that a Jewish missionary effort would damage interfaith relations. At the same time, however, several respondents made the point that seeking converts among the "unchurched" was a two-way street and that the large number of unaffiliated Jews in the United States might be deemed legitimate "targets" for Christian proselytizing.

Krister Stendahl, dean of the Harvard University Divinity School, wrote that Schindler’s "analysis of the place and potential of such a mission … is correct." On the question of the superiority of one religion over another that might be implied in missionary efforts, Stendahl replied that this depended on the perspective from which the mission was carried out.

"The spirit of Rabbi Schindler’s paper," he commented, "indicates that it need not have such implications." He added that he felt confident that the UAHC’s proposed program would be free of "spiritual imperialism." Stendahl observed that "it is important to couple the missionary stance with interfaith dialogues and consultations" to make sure that misinterpretations are corrected.

A MOVE TO BE WELCOMED

Responding on behalf of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Dr. Eugene Fisher said: "An active Judaism which vigorously proclaims its own unique message to the world and openly invites all interested in experiencing the richness and depth of its religious tradition is something to be welcomed in a pluralistic society."

Fisher, who heads the Secretariat for Catholic-Jewish Relations of the Bishops’ Committee for Ecumenical and Religious Affairs, also stressed the need for continuing dialogue between Jewish and Catholic religious leaders to explore "the many theoretical and pragmatic questions which face us in coming to grips with how we are to view each other in terms of God’s overall plan of salvation."

Another prominent Catholic theologian, Rev. John T. Pawlikowski, a professor at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, called the proposal "basically a Jewish decision," and found no objections to it in principle. "I feel an argument can be made for such a move," he said. But he warned that "many Christians may misinterpret it. They may also use it to justify their own miss ionizing of Jews."

Dr. Harvey G. Cox of the Harvard University Divinity School, said he welcomed Schindler’s initiative and that he could think "of no good reason why any thoughtful Christian should find it objectionable." For a person not born Jewish to choose to be a Jew "further escalates the currently growing belief that any religion is something one chooses, not something due to an accident of birth," Cox observed, adding: "This in turn suggests that people born Jewish can choose another path, and should be allowed to do so if it seems more persuasive to them."

He said that "I am opposed to Christians trying to convert Jews. I do not extend my opposition to the case of ‘secularized’ Jews for whom Judaism has ceased to have any personal meaning. I believe nothing is gained by refusing to share one’s faith with such persons. However, even in these cases, I would hope that such people would ‘return’ to the Torah and to Judaism, if that is possible, and I would direct my efforts in that way."

Prof. Gregory Baum, of Toronto, a Catholic theologian who resigned from the active priesthood and now teaches at St. Michael’s College of the University of Toronto, endorsed the UAHC proposal, noting that the proposed outreach movement might have "a profound effect on the self-understanding of the Jewish community." He said he strongly opposed "the church’s effort to convert Jews, be they religious or non-religious."

He added that "the church’s missionary outreach was an axis of anti-Semitism. It was based on the Christian negation of Jewish existence. And the negation which at first was purely spiritual became eventually social and political because the church became the religion of the state. For this reason a mission of the church directed toward the Jew is offensive to me. It is obscene. It is impenitent."

ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSAL

Peter Berger, a liberal Protestant associated with the Mediating Structures Project in New York City, favored the idea of American Judaism adopting a missionary stance because, in his view, "a religious community in a pluralistic society will increasingly find that it will be plausible to those within it only if it can make itself plausible to outsiders." Putting it another way, he said: "Judaism

Rev Malcolm Boyd of Sherman Oaks, Cal., author of "Are You Running With Me, Jesus?" and other books, said: "Rabbi Schindler’s outreach program is something that Jews and non-Jews alike need for the deepening — and hopefully permanent improvement — of interreligious relations….It can be enormously beneficial. Old images can be shattered, stereotypes discarded, outmoded and false attitudes relegated to the dust bin."

VIEWS WILL BE STUDIED

Brickner said the responses would be "scrupulously and conscientiously studied and evaluated" by Schindler and other officials of the UAHC and "members of the task force charged with developing a conceptual and practical plan of operation for the outreach program will take careful account of the views and points expressed. This should help immeasurably to avoid pitfalls as our proposal is implemented."

Brickner noted that the lack of response from Fundamentalists and Evangelicals was significant, particularly since many Jewish groups have responded favorably to the evangelical support of Israel. "Evangelical Protestantism is an enigma to American Jewry," he said. "On the one hand Jews deeply appreciate their support of Israel. On the other hand, we remain dubious of a theology that motivates at least some Evangelicals to seek the conversion of Jews."

He observed further that "while individual Protestants have spoken out clearly and forcefully in opposition to the conversion of Jews, mainline Protestant denominations have not. Until this is done, their relationships with the Jewish community of this country will remain uncertain and somewhat strained."