For two thousand years, Christians and Jews have
coexisted in an uneasy state of tension, mutual
suspicion, and often hatred and violence. But in recent
years, courageous Christian and Jewish leaders have
together confronted the past with laserlike intensity and
commenced the urgent task of building bridges of
solidarity, mutual knowledge and respect.
This extraordinary effort, coming after two millennia
that were frequently filled with intolerance and
distrust, reverses a tragic history and creates a new and
constructive relationship between Christians and Jews.
But it has not been easy. How did this happen? How
was it possible to begin the process of overcoming
centuries of stereotypes, caricatures and bigotry? And
does the development of constructive Christian-Jewish
relations, albeit still fragile, offer a successful model to
resolve other intergroup conflicts?
This probing examination of Christian-Jewish
relations looks at the major issues facing both faith
traditions to guarantee that the recent hard-earned
gains and achievements will not be lost or weakened in
the difficult years ahead.