He Kissed Him and They Wept

This collection brings together some of the most prominent names in international Jewish and Catholic scholarship, and attempts a concerted dialogue between these religious traditions in order to show what each may learn from the other whilst yet retaining integrity and alterity. Taking as its central metaphor the moving biblical story of the meeting between Jacob and Esau (Genesis 33.4), in which the brothers are reconciled after long estrangement, the book tries to point towards areas of common ground and explores certain shared interests. Topics covered include: the notion of the covenant; the idea of election; the reading of sacred texts today; the challenge posed to both Jews and Catholics by postmodernity; and religion, government and society. A concluding section attempts to sketch the parameters of what a partnership between the traditions might look like, and what its agenda might be.