Broken Gospel?

Rezensionen / Stimmen

"I can think of no other recent work on this subject which offers so unsparingly honest and so theologically intelligent a perspective. Dr Waddell recognises with complete clarity the degree to which the Holocaust puts in question the moral integrity of Christian language, and his proposals for responding to this challenge are deeply thoughtful and constructive. This is a very significant essay for Jewish-Christian relations." The Rt Revd Rowan Williams.
"With meticulous attention to texts, statements and facts, Peter Waddell sets out with great clarity the historical, theological and spiritual record for which Christianity must account. This does not make for comfortable reading, but the issues he raises are unavoidable and of existential import. In particular, the discussion on the shaping of Christian-Jewish relations - the question of covenant(s), the place of evangelism, the idea of fulfilment - is handled with a sensitivity and nuance which are exemplary but rare. This is a book which deserves serious attention from all who take seriously the need for Christian repentance in light of the long and painful history of our relationship with our first and most significant other." The Rt Revd Michael Ipgrave, Chair of the Council of Christians and Jews
"To wrestle honestly with reality at its darkest points is one of the greatest challenges. Waddell does that - profoundly, courageously, and taking into account the best thinking about evil, sin, and the human condition. What is more, at issue is the appalling record of his own Christian community before, during, and after the Holocaust. Waddell not only vividly exposes this, and offers penetrating critiques of Christian responses to it, but he also opens up a wise, practical way forward that is deeply Christian." David F. Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus, University of Cambridge
"In this fine book Peter Waddell addresses the most testing of all questions facing the church. Has the terrible history of Christian anti-Judaism and complicity in the holocaust fatally undermined the Christian Gospel? He traverses a range of highly controversial issues in a way that is both comprehensive and balanced and whilst fully facing the evil does not lose hope for a repentant church, even repentant Nazis." Professor Richard Harries, author of After the Evil: Christianity and Judaism in the Shadow of the Holocaust.
Anti-Semitism is not limited to the Christian world, but that is where it has been at its most vicious and enduring, culminating in the Holocaust. How could this happen in a society that was the heir to 2,000 years of Christian values of loving your neighbour as yourself? Is that not only a terrible indictment of the perpetrators and bystanders, but also a stinging challenge to the integrity of Christianity itself? These are the painful questions that Peter Waddell confronts Jonathan Romain, Maidenhead Synagogue, Theology - 2023, Vol. 126(2) 81\ 83.
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