Cardinal Walter Kasper on dual covenant theology: "No go!"

Actually, he didn't say, "No go!" But Cardinal Kasper, in a significant article, "Das Wann und Wie entscheidet Gott", first published in Germany on March 21st, firmly and clearly addresses the controversy over the Good Friday prayers, as well as the notion, popular among some theologians, that the Old Covenant is of equal value with the New Covenant.

That article, thankfully, has been translated and is available as a PDF—along with some helpful commentary by the translator, Dr Thomas Pink of King's College London—on the "Against Grain" site. Here is a brief snippet:

The exclusion of a targeted and institutionalised mission to the Jews does not mean that Christians should sit around and do nothing. One must distinguish between a targeted and organised mission on the one hand, and Christian witness on the other. Of course Christians have to give witness to their ‘elder brothers and sisters in the faith of Abraham’ (John Paul II) at the point where such witness is called for; they have to give witness of their faith and of the riches and beauty of their belief in Jesus Christ. That is what even Paul did. On his missionary journeys he went each time into the synagogue first, and only when he met with unbelief there did he go to the Gentiles.

Such a witness is demanded also of us today. It must certainly be given with tact and with respect; but it would be dishonest if in meeting with their Jewish friends Christians remained silent about their own faith or even denied it. We expect the same in relation to us from believing Jews. This behaviour is entirely normal in the dialogues with which I am familiar. For an honest dialogue between Jews and Christians is only possible, on the one hand, on the basis of a shared belief in the one God, the creator of heaven and earth, and in the promises given to Abraham and the Patriarchs; and on the other hand, in awareness of and with respect for the basic point of difference, which consists in the belief that Jesus is the Christ and the Redeemer of all people.

Be sure to visit "Against the Grain", read the commentary, and download Cardinal Kasper's article.

I find it more than a little interesting that a variation of dual covenant theology is embraced by certain Catholic theologians and is also advocated by premillennial dispensationalists such as John Hagee, more famously known for his less than charitable comments about the Catholic Church (and his support of John McCain). Hagee has stated, "In fact trying to convert Jews is a waste of time ... Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced by Christianity." He says similar things in his books. In doing so, he is simply being faithful to the theological beliefs of John Nelson Darby, whose entire system of dispensationalism was rooted in a heaven/earth : Church/Judaism dualism, a dualism that is rightly described by Ronald Henzel, an Evangelical scholar, as "a dualism as great as anyone had ever posited between the sacred and the secular, or between the spiritual and the natural". That comes from Henzel's exceptional book, Darby, Dualism, and the Decline of Dispensationalism (Fenestra Books, 2003), which is must reading for anyone interested in the topic. More on this topic, I hope, in the near future...

Comments

[Thomas]

Catholicism IS Judaism. And the Judaism of today isn't the Judaism from before the destruction of the Temple.

God never revoked His covenant with the Jews because He fulfilled it in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the promised Messiah, so to say that salvation comes through Christ alone and that Jews need to be evangelized, too, is not to say God has broken His promise. It is to say the exact opposite; He has kept His promise. If Jews want to be Jews they should be Catholic.

That'll be blunt and offensive to some and I'll be called an Anti-Semite, but that's the conclusion I've come to. And the huge numbers of our Jewish brothers who have no religious belief or practice at all, but consider their Judaism a cultural thing alone are a sign of this.

P.S. - I'm always surprised when Cardinal Kasper says something remotely orthodox.

[Fr. J.]

Amen, Thomas. Well said.

The dual covenant theology makes for good diplomacy but very bad theology. It just isn't justifiable from either scripture or tradition.

To add to the above, the New Covenant in Christ's blood takes the relationship of God to Isreal and opens it to all humanity and transforms the promise from land and descendants to the heavenly Jerusalem. The mass is the passover...and more. The tabernacles of our churches are the Holy of Holies...and more. The priesthood of the Church is the ancient priesthood of Melchizadek...and more. The Church is the people of Israel...and more.

This is not to say Judaism is wrong, rather it is to say that Judaism is as yet incomplete. And, we pray for their completion in Christ.

[Wolf Paul]

Thomas: What do you make of "the huge numbers of our Catholic brothers who have (for all intents and purposes) no religious beliefs or practices at all", in countries like France and Austria (which I know personally) and probably much of the rest of Europe as well?

And your comment about Cardinal Kaspar (whose name you mis-spelled in a way that results in an insult, if one understands German) of course reflects on the Pope who leaves such a man (who rarely says something remotely orthodox) in such an important position.

[Carl Olson]

And your comment about Cardinal Kaspar (whose name you mis-spelled in a way that results in an insult, if one understands German)

Twas an innocent error as my German is non-existent.

[Thomas]

What's your point about non-practicing Catholics, Wolf? I'm not sure you grasped what I was saying. I wrote of the development of Judaism into Catholicism and pointed out that what remains of Judaism after the Temple isn't even the same as before.

What does the fact of fallen away Catholics have to do with that point?

I won't even bother to address your pretentious comment about understanding German. It's immaterial.