National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council
NJCRAC Joint Program Plan 1994-1995

Guide to Program Planning Of the Constituent Organizations
Jewish Security and the Bill of Rights

Protestant-Jewish Relations

Changing Conditions

In a major statement on Christian-Jewish relations the Evangelical Lutheran Church formally rejected the anti-Semitic writings of Martin Luther. Methodists will be issuing in 1994 a major document with implications for Christian-Jewish relations as well. Progress in the Arab-Israeli peace process defused tensions on the national level between mainline Protestant denominations and Jews.

Background

A major area of contention in Protestant-Jewish relations, the Middle East, diminished in intensity as result of the Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles signed on September 13, 1993. Nonetheless, this area could reemerge as a "flash-point" in relations as Protestant and Jewish groups watch the implementation of the agreements over the next several years. Jewish and Protestant communities, nationally and locally, will be called upon to engage in joint activity around such areas as economic development in the territories; ending the Arab boycott; ensuring that negotiations take place in a violence-free atmosphere; and education and interpretation of events.

A significant development with important implications for Protestant-Jewish relations, both nationally and in the pews, was the formal rejection by the Evangelical Lutheran Church (the major Lutheran body in the United States, with 5.2 million members) of the anti-Semitic writings of Martin Luther, the movement's founder. In "The Declaration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America to the Jewish Community," a major statement on Christian-Jewish relations on which the Lutherans have worked for several years, the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church forthrightly repudiated Luther's "violent invective" against Jews and Judaism in anti-Jewish attacks published by Luther in 1543. Luther, the religious pioneer who was instrumental in launching the Protestant Christian movement, savagely attacked Jews in his statements. Although never incorporated into official Lutheran doctrine, Luther's anti-Jewish diatribes have long been used by anti-Semites to give historical and religious justification to their claims. The repudiation by a key Lutheran body itself, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, of Luther's anti-Semitic essays will send an important message to the Protestant world, and will be a significant step in the fifty-year process aimed at improving Christian-Jewish relations.

The United Methodists, who have adopted in recent years an unfriendly posture with respect to Israel, are developing a major statement on Christian-Jewish relations, scheduled to be issued in 1994.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Episcopalian Church meet in 1994. It is expected that statements emerging from these national denominational bodies will be positive, or at least muted, with respect to Israel.

The relationship between the NJCRAC and the National Council of Churches around environmental and economic justice issues was enhanced during 1993, as mechanisms for developing a consensus approach and programmatic initiatives on these issues were refined. An exemplar in this regard was the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, which kicked off its activities in October 1993. (See section on Energy and the Environment for details.)

An interreligious area that has received scant attention among Jewish community relations agencies is that of the black Protestant churches. Jewish groups will be called upon to establish relationships with the black churches nationally, and with black church groups in the communities, working on issues of common concern.

 

Priority Strategic Goals

The Jewish community relations field should

  • work with the leadership of the National Council of Churches and with Protestant denominational leadership to enhance the peace process in the aftermath of the Israel-PLO agreement, by cooperative efforts in such key areas as a cessation of violence, an end to the boycott, and other areas of concern;

  • analyze and evaluate significant denominational statements that emerge in terms of their implications for Protestant-Jewish relations and work together with Christian leadership in interpreting and implementing these statements and guidelines;

  • monitor the schedules of denominational meetings in order to remain alert to discussions and possible denominational statements that may be forthcoming on Christian-Jewish relations, Israel and the Middle East, and other areas of concern; and work together with denominational representatives and groups on developing draft statements on Israel and on Jews and Judaism for submission to national denominational bodies;

  • work with the leadership of the National Council of Churches, and with denominational leaders nationally and locally, on areas of mutual concern; and continue an exploration with the leadership of areas of difficulty;

  • enhance the working relationship with Protestant leaders in local communities on such issues as guidelines on religion for public schools.