Jewish Conscience of the Church: Jules Isaac and the Second Vatican Council

Norman Tobias is a lay member of the Canadian Rabbinic Caucus in its renewed systematic dialogue with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. In discussing his book, Norman Tobias will present the  backstory of how the Catholic Church came to clarify and embrace in terms of esteem the role of Israel in salvation history, at the behest of French Jewish historian Jules Isaac. Isaac’s crusade for scriptural truth and rectification of Christian teaching regarding Jews and Judaism culminated in a private audience with Pope John XXIII—an encounter that moved the Pope to make a last-minute addition to the Second Vatican Council agenda and set in motion a train of events leading to a revolution in Catholic teaching about the Jews. It is a story of loss and triumph, and ultimately, unlikely partnership.

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