Monthly Archives: May 2011

Two Fights To Pick

Posted on May 31, 2011 by

Jewish Jew: Jews have been persecuted and killed in the name of Christ for hundreds of years. Anti-semitic harangues have been preached from altars – Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant alike – all over Europe. The writings of St. John Chrysostom … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Amateur Theology of the Day: A Stiff-Necked People

Posted on May 25, 2011 by

The more I think about Jews, the more I wonder: Why does God choose for Himself a people that He Himself describes as “stiff-necked”? (see Exodus 32:7-10) Don’t judge me too harshly as I engage in some free-form exegesis below. The “stiff-necked” people has … Continue reading →

Posted in Theological | Leave a comment

Cardinal Lustiger on Anti-Semitism

Posted on May 23, 2011 by

As you might have gleaned from previous posts, I’ve been quite taken lately with a book of interviews with Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger, conducted (it seems) mostly by Jewish journalists. The view he puts forward of the relationship between Christianity and anti-semitism is particularly interesting. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Movies, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Orthodox Not So Bad?

Posted on May 18, 2011 by

Since my last series of posts went a bit negative on the Orthodox Church’s treatment of Jews, I thought I’d restore some balance by pointing to this 1903 Paschal sermon by Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev and Galicia (my favorite place). …O brethren, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

The Jews and The Promise

Posted on May 13, 2011 by

Someone captured this video of St. Josemaria Escriva (founder of Opus Dei) counseling a Jewish teenager who wants to convert to Catholicism – in the middle of a crowd! As my fiance said, here The Groom’s Family meets The Promise.

Posted in Getting Along With Parents, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hating Your Enemies

Posted on May 12, 2011 by

A few weeks ago, I linked to an article by Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, who argues that one of the major differences between Christianity and Judaism is the treatment of hatred toward one’s enemies. The Christians preach forgiveness; the Jews make a point … Continue reading →

Posted in Theological, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Doubly Chosen IV and Final: They Put The Jew Together Again

Posted on May 10, 2011 by

I will wrap up this (over)extended book review of Judith Kornblatt’s Doubly Chosen by focusing on the observation that surprised the author the most. Again and again in her interviews, Kornblatt heard statements like this: Before [baptism], to be a Jew was … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Movies, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Doubly Chosen III: A Great Men [sic]

Posted on May 5, 2011 by

In the last post reviewing Judith Kornblatt’s Doubly Chosen, I briefly re-sketched her description of the Russian-Jewish Soviet intelligentsia and their discovery of Orthodoxy in the search for freedom and truth. The appeal of the Orthodox Church to these people was, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Movies, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Doubly Chosen II: Freedom and Truth

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

I’ll start this second part of the review of Judith Kornblatt’s Doubly Chosen with some interviewee quotes I found particularly striking: I was driven by neither philosophy nor spirituality… Living in the Soviet Union, and always being bothered by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Movies, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Doubly Chosen I: The Jew Breaks in Two

Posted on May 2, 2011 by

Some time ago I drafted a list of books I was hoping to review soon (it has grown since, by the way). Here comes the first one: Doubly Chosen: Jewish Identity, the Soviet Intelligentsia, and the Russian Orthodox Church, by Judith … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Movies | Leave a comment