Product Description
In May 2009 Pope Benedict XVI travels to Israel and the Holy Land, an event which will be will be of great significance for all people of good will in the region - indeed, in the world. Much has changed since the visits of his predecessors Pope Paul VI in 1964 and Pope John Paul II in 2000. Vatican II and the actions of the late John Paul II did much to impact positively on Christian-Jewish relations and the recent archival information about the actions of Pope Pius XII during the Holocaust has also contributed to good feelings. But these days Christians and Jews face new challenges. The rise of radical Islamic fundamentalism, the war in Lebanon and the invasion of Gaza, the re-wording of the Good Friday prayer by Pope Benedict XVI and the lifting of the excommunications of four traditionalist Roman Catholic bishops, one of whom denies the Holocaust, have aroused consternation among Jews and Catholics, as well as among other Christians. More than 35 women and men from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions and from various places around the world accepted an invitation to write an essay-letter responding to the question: If you had five minutes with Pope Benedict XVI, what would you to say to him? Their contributions are challenging and insightful, introducing the reader to a range of views and opinions. All writers were asked to include questions for discussion and suggestions for further reading that might expand and enrich the reader s insights into the complexity of some of the issues addressed in the book. No going back is therefore a useful resource for classes, discussion groups and personal study on interreligious dialogue, Christian-Jewish relations and the leadership of the Catholic and Jewish Communities
About the Author
Carol Rittner, RSM, an American Roman Catholic nun, is Distinguished Professor of Holocaust & Genocide Studies at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (USA). Stephen Smith is Chairman of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust in the UK, Director of the UK Holocaust Centre and co-founder of the Aegis Trust for the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity.
