Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Lambeth

Wednesday July 30, 2008

According to this report, Sir Jonathan Sacks, British chief rabbi, spoke at Lambeth earlier this week about the need to find unity within difference:

The Anglican Communion has held together quite different strands of Christian theology and practice better than any other religion I know, certainly than any other Western religion I know....Covenant is predicated on difference...Between God and humanity-that is the covenant of ultimate difference.

It is striking that this is one of the most robustly theological comments on Lambeth and the current crisis in the Anglican Communion to have been reported on. One of the many wonderful things about the Archbishop of Canterbury is his insistence on speaking and thinking theologically, but many other commentators, on both "sides" of the issue, have not followed suit. Thank-you, Rabbi Sacks, for interjecting this decidedly theological note into the discussion...

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Comments
Bob
July 30, 2008 9:50 AM

The Anglicans are looking to rabbis now to teach them how to do things? The Jewish people are great, but I don't think they're qualified to lecture on Christianity anymore than the Pope is qualified to explain Judaism to Jews.

Michael Braz
July 30, 2008 10:42 AM

Bob: you may be right--but isn't it fascinating how, throughout the history of art, the majority of Old Testament-themed paintings and sculptures have been created by Christians?

Since so many of the characters portrayed are Jewish, could this be understood as Christians interpreting Judaism?

Come to think of it, isn't a fundamental tenet of Christianity that the Holy Scriptures (aka the Old Testament) need to be "explained" as a prequel to the New Testament?

It seems to me that there's already a good deal of inter-religious teaching and explaining going on--I wouldn't be too hard on the Anglicans.

No disrespect meant here--but I thought I'd ask.

sally hall
August 4, 2008 12:47 AM

We can all learn from other religions. Interacting with them is also
educational, helpful and helps all involved.

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