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Providence College Promotes Jewish-Catholic Engagement
By Nancy Thomas
Last week RINewsToday.com was privileged to attend a scholarly evening of dialogue at Providence College as part of the “Jewish-Catholic Theological Exchange”. This program, founded in 2007 has, several times a year, engaged in a community evening addressing various topics of convergence and divergence between the two theologies.
This evening was dedicated to a presentation and question and answer time on the world-famous play, “The Passion Play”, portraying the last of Jesus’ life on Earth. It focused on the play that is performed at regular intervals in the town of Oberammergau, Germany. The town selects individuals from among its residents to play all the roles. The play is performed several times a day over about a month of performances. To most people’s knowledge, there are no Jewish residents of Oberammergau, and the play is based on scripture and biblical passages and teaching.
The evening featured a discussion about the anti-Semitic nature of the play and how disturbing it is, as a Jew, to hear many of the passages. Basic facts such as the fact that Jesus was a Jew are often omitted, though each revision of the play has softened the anti-Semitic nature.
The next performance in Oberammergau will be in 2020, and the script has not yet been released. However, Hilary Salk, a presenter and local author, has spoken with the resident/actor who will play Jesus and he informed her that the word rabbi will be used, and Jesus will be presented as a Jew. There will also be Hebrew words and phrases incorporated into the play. And some, removed, such as “his blood is upon us and also upon our children’s children”, as well as costume changes. Otherwise, we will all have to wait and see how much adaptation has occurred in the play’s dialogue.
The theological exchange is extremely stimulating, especially to those who may have both Catholic and Jewish roots, the intermarried, or those who critically look at historical narratives in the context of society.
The commonalities far outweigh the discord and a healthy dialogue in the beauty of the Providence College campus makes one realize how important a liberal arts component of education is. This is the time to ask questions, to seek answers, to question and to debate.
Presenting this year were:
- Hilary Salk, author of the novel Eavesdropping in Oberammergau
- Judy Banki, senior advisor for interreligious affairs, Tenenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding
- Rev. Kevin Spicer, C.S.C., Professor of History, Stonehill College, and Chair of Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations
Hilary Salk 
Rev. Spicer’s presentation was read by a Dominican priest/teacher at PC, due to the unexpected death of Rev. Spicer’s father.
About the Jewish-Catholic Theological Exchange at Providence College:
”Since its founding in 1917, Providence College has actively promoted Catholic and Jewish engagement. Building on this history, the Jewish-Catholic Theological Exchange committee was established by the Theology Department in 2007 and has continued to extend opportunities for Jews and Christians to pursue “mutual understanding and respect which is the fruit, above all, of biblical and theological studies, as well as of fraternal dialogues”.
Reflecting on the common spiritual heritage as well as the unique identities of Jews and Christians, our mission is to foster interreligious learning, understanding, and friendship. The JCTE hosts major lectures, colloquia, and other initiatives on the Providence College campus. These events provide a welcoming forum where members of the college join the broader Rhode Island community, to engage with local religious leaders and nationally recognized experts to discuss themes of mutual theological interest.
In continuity with Providence College’s long-standing tradition, the JCTE promotes inter-religious understanding and dialogue in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.”
For more information on this program at Providence College, go to: https://jewish-catholic.providence.edu