Jewish Schizophrenia: What did the Rabbis think of Christianity?

Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn

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For most of the last 2,000 years Christianity understood Judaism and Jews as its enemies. But did the Rabbis always see Christianity and Christians as eternal enemies (“Esau hates Jacob”)? In this presentation we will examine whether In the eyes of the rabbis Christianity is like ancient idolatry described in the Bible and Talmud, as well as whether Jewish experience with Christians–both bad and good–in the Middle Ages influenced how the Rabbis evaluated Christianity, whether the Holocaust changed anything about how Jews and Christians understand each other today, and whether religious Jews and pious Christians can be partners for building a better future, without betraying the principles of their faiths.

Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn is the Academic Director of The Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation in Israel, which he helped found, and Senior Research Fellow at Beit Morasha of Jerusalem’s Institute for Religion and Society. He was ordained by the Israeli Rabbinate and earned a PhD. in philosophy at Columbia University. He has taught at Columbia, Yeshiva and the Graduate Department of Judeo-Christian Studies of Seton Hall University. Previously he was Executive Director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding at Sacred Heart University, National Director of Interfaith Affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, and editor of The Edah Journal—A Forum of Modern Orthodox Thought.

Dr. Korn is a principal author of the recent Orthodox Rabbis Statement on Christianity released in December 2015. He is also a contributor and co-editor of Plowshares into Swords? Reflections on Religion and Violence (2014) and Returning to Zion: Christian and Jewish Perspectives (2015), both results of theology projects of world renowned Christian and Jewish theologians that he co-directed. He is a contributor and co-editor of the award-winning Jewish Theology and World Religions (2012), and Covenant and Hope: New Frontiers in Jewish and Christian Theology (2012). His previous books include The Jewish Connection to the Land of Israel—A Brief Introduction for Christians (2007), Two Faiths, One Covenant? (2005) and End of Exile by James Parkes (2002).

Dr. Korn has published more than 30 scholarly essays on Jewish ethics and law, Jewish-Christian relations, Jewish attitudes toward non-Jewish culture and religious extremism. His writings have been translated into Hebrew, Italian, Spanish and German. His articles, reviews of theological works and op-ed essays have appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Jerusalem Post, America Magazine, Religion News Service, The Jewish Week, The National Catholic Reporter, Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations and The Forward.

Rabbi Korn lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Lila Magnus Korn. They travel frequently to Europe and the United State for professional and family reasons. He and Lila are blessed with three children and seven grandchildren, who live in Israel and the United States.

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