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# Posted 10:08 PM by Ariel David Adesnik

EDUCATING THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, PART II: (Click here for Part I.) To what degree is it possible to resolve the theological tensions between Christianity and Judaism? In response to yesterday's post, PJ writes that

To Christians, Judaism and Christianity are and must be entirely consistent. If the two faiths were not consistent, then, because the Jewish Scripture is contained in the Christian, God's revelation (as Christians understand it) would be internally contradictory. Such an inconsistent revelation would prove that Christianity was false.

You say, "I believe that it is necessary to recognize that there are profound and inherent tensions between Christianity and Judaism....[O]ne must recognize that one can never resolve such tensions once and for all." But Christianity cannot be true unless it is possible to resolve tensions between Christianity and Judaism once and for all. From God's perspective, there can be no tensions between his covenant with the Jews and his grace to Christians.

Of course Christians believe we have a fuller grasp of the truth than Jews who reject Jesus as the Messiah, and that Jews would benefit by accepting this fuller truth; but there is no need for Jews to abandon Judaism in order to become Christians, any more than Jesus had to abandon his Judaism in order to found the Christian church.

While I greatly appreciate the spirit in which PJ's comments were written, I'm afriad that I must disagree vigorously with their substance. Regardless of what Christians believe about the compatibility of Christianity and Judaism, it is extremely hard for even the most moderate and progressive Jews to believe that the two religions are "entirely consistent" or even mostly consistent. The idea that "Jews would benefit by acceping [the] fuller truth" of Christianity is simply anathema regardless of the generous spirit in which Christian teachings are offered.

This fact reinforces my argument that there are inherent tensions between Christianity and Judaism. If, as PJ asserts, it is theologically necessary for Christians to believe that Christianity and Judaism are consistent, then the overwhelming majority of Jews' refusal to acknowledge such consistency amounts to a profound attack on the validity of Christian doctrine.

Of course, it is not our intention to assault the Christian faith any more than it is the intention of PJ or other Christians to assault ours. Yet the substance of our respective faiths mandates such a conflict. I wish it weren't so. I think that the vast majority of Americans wish it weren't so. Yet it is.

This returns us to the paradox I pointed out in my previous post: that the coexistence of the Christian and Jewish faiths depends on the ability of religious leaders' to revise the substance of our respective faiths without acknowledging that they are doing so. Yet I doubt that such revisions could ever overcome the tension created by the fact that Jews will never accept Christ as their Messiah. Thus, as I argued in my original post on this subject,

The task before us is to acknowledge the depth of such tensions while addressing them in a manner that promotes dialogue rather than conflict.

Thankfully, we in the United States have proven remarkably adept at doing just that. I believe that it is precisely because of our common heritage as Americans that we are able to deal so constructively with the tensions that separate our faiths.

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