Problems with the Christian-Jewish Dialogue in Poland

The author of the essay poses the question whether the joint effort of the Christians and the Jews is bringing the two religious communities closer together thanks to the accumulated historical materials. The shared history, apart from the period of nascence of Christianity as a new religion within the realm of Judaism, was mainly a dividing factor all the way until the mid-20th century. It was only the critical and common reflection over the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth that made it possible for the two communities to find some common ground. On the one hand, it made it possible to overcome mutual prejudice and stereotypes accumulated over the ages, but on the other it showed how deeply the Christian replacement theology is rooted in contemporary thinking of many Catholics. A special role was played in this process by the Nostra aetate declaration of the 2nd Vatican Council, and especially its Clause 4, which deals with the attitude of the Catholic church to Judaism and Jews. However, not all the participants in this debate agree to assess these changes favourably, hence the need to review the various positions and the arguments used to support them. The author airs the conviction that the main obstacle to the establishment of a successful Christian-Jewish dialogue in Poland is its political dimension and the lack of readiness to listen to the arguments of the other side. Deep historical reflection has given way to politicking, in which personal animosities and lack of sensitivity to a different perspective predominate. This historical approach is complemented by a theological recapitulation of the decades-long debate between the Christian and the Jewish partners. A consistently pursued dialogue leads to the domino effect, i.e., a radical re-evaluation of the dogmas developed over the course of history. A consent to a change in this regard will be central to this dialogue moving beyond an exchange of niceties and becomes a true platform for bringing the two religious communities closer together.