Israel and Humanity - Preface by Hyacinth Loyson

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This should be the constant concern of our Christianity to reform constantly. As he has in him, beside the divine element, a human element involved inevitably to instability and imperfections in the things of this world and elsewhere is expected to change to adapt to the intellectual development It is still necessary to work to balance science and faith, as it is also essential to fight against abuses by a common recall the most basic principles.

In fact, we know that this is not usually the case because the religion is also the tradition of ancestors, the instinct of self preservation too easily degenerates into formalism and routine.

The need remains nevertheless, and the history of Christianity with its innumerable sects eloquently attests. Protestantism, which gave the formula somehow ultimately do not appear as anything but a return to the Christianity of St. Paul, apostles and Jesus.

At a time when the excesses of papal absolutism me evident, I tried to do something similar in the Catholic Church I have always deeply loved and my attempt may be particularly interesting for its failure itself Similarly, because it shows that there is in Christianity other vital points which need to be corrected also. And that need is felt equally by Protestantism, which, on all sides, in turn calls for reform of the Reformation.

It is extremely interesting to see a rabbi, an authorized representative of the synagogue to express his opinion on this important issue. It can certainly be sent to the Jews blamed for too long been silent. Without doubt the difficult conditions under which they are found, for so many centuries in Christian circles, and where kept our prejudices and hatreds unjust, forced them to offset this attitude. But now they enjoy complete freedom, they need to make their voices heard. Necessary I say, because we understand how the Christianity if Judaism, the religion which it is derived, is unknown? We too often forget that Jesus was a Jew. Like it or not, we will change nothing. The Jews are our fathers in faith is to them that we owe the priceless gift of belief in one God. They owe us today because of their protest against our secular interpretation of the role and teachings of Jesus.

So we are pleased to see a scientist of his people to give us his opinion on our religious crisis and seek solutions.

I have not had the satisfaction of knowing personally Rabbi Elie Benamozegh and I regret even more that I knew he was interested in my religious experiences. In addition, I read the writings of this great thinker, and especially this important work "Israel and Humanity," I was very impressed.

We certainly can not expect that a rabbi speaking of Christianity is the same point of view that a Christian theologian. But the doctrine is basically Elie Benamozogh much less destructive of Christianity that might be tempted to believe at first.

Christian theologians only saw once in the Old Testament as foreshadowing the New. It is Jesus as prophets have announced. Christ came, the mission of Judaism is completed, a new covenant replaces the old. Jesus founded the Church with its hierarchy and its sacraments, and one day will come when the head of this Church will return as the infallible interpreter of revealed doctrine. We know only too well that independent exegesis and especially criticism of the Gospels have utterly ruined the traditional data. But then, with them, is the whole of Christianity crumbles as an arbitrary, artificial, inconsistent.

Elie Benamozegh claims to save the best part. It carries the roots, the foundations of Christianity in the highest tradition Hebrew. The Revelation of God is one, his law also, but this revelation and the Act has two aspects: one which regards Israel, the priestly race, and another directed to humanity as a whole. This is just the messianism, that is the universal religion.

But Christianity in the Hebrew conception as we expose the author "of Israel and Mankind," appears as well as Islamism, that other great and powerful religion appear later as a test realization of the Messianic Jew. Insofar as there is faithful to the prophetic ideal, it must subsist insofar as it deviates, it is called to reform.

How to read Christianity can still relate to the personality of Jesus, is a question that may determine individual piety for its own account, but whose solution no interest more directly messianism in its historical evolution. Some is so radical that the scientific criticism in his study of Christian origins, character and role of Jesus, Christianity remains, it is not true as a religion complete, perfect, definitive, because divinely revealed in all its parts but as a beginning of realization of a plan well before the coming of Jesus.

Seeing things in this day, we see that the door remains open to all reform, all improvements, because since this is a test, we understand that it may have been on any So much so unhappy and nothing precludes being overhauled to use the expression Benamozegh, copying the original.

Instead, all that is best in Christian piety, faith in the fatherhood of God, human regeneration, the triumph of peace, justice, universal brotherhood, all these treasures that we certainly not come from the Greek or Roman paganism, but of tradition, heritage Hebrew remain and may even legitimately be called the religion of Jesus because we do not see it nor had he could have a another. In historical reality, we know that it has established no rite, no sacrament, no church. Born Jewish, he would live and die a Jew, and since the bloody diaper circumcision until his burial shroud embalmed, only perform the rites of his nation .

Elie Benamozegh by this book has done justice to an error commonly held among us Christians: that which is to see in Judaism a national monotheism, that ethnic religion. It shows in the ancient tradition of Israel's universalist aspirations more clearly, without any ulterior motive of securing the Gentiles to Mosaic. It thus makes a valuable contribution to the study of the religious problem.

Although he did not pretend to say everything in a book, but he blazed a path: it is hoped that others engage in it after him and work this way in reconciliation so desirable Jews , Christians and Muslims and by them the whole human family.

Hyacinthe Loyson.