Renewing Orthodox Christian Faith, Worship, and Life through Jewish Dialogue

While Orthodox Christian-Jewish dialogue often and necessarily centres on elements of anti-Judaism within Christian preaching, teaching, and worship, this paper focuses on some of the enriching insights that can be gained through this engagement. This paper will address three broad themes: (1) the recovery of the full narrative of God and Israel — and a truer christotelic rather than a limited christocentric typology; (2) the illumination and deeper understanding of existing Orthodox Christian liturgical and faith practices through a Jewish perspective and interpretation; and (3) the retrieval of a more vital sense of living patristic tradition reflecting the dynamic “Talmudic” approach to seeking truth through dialogue, debate, and the application of heuristic methods. Through engagement and dialogue with the Jewish community, Orthodox Christians stand to gain fresh insights into the living tradition of the church, and rediscover neglected aspects of faith and practice.