ABSTRACT
The World Council of Churches, for example, in 1948 stressed the unique role of the Jewish people and the contribution of Israel to the design of God, but then stated: "The church has received this spiritual heritage from Israel and is therefore in honor bound to render it back in the light of the Cross. For the Catholic Church, the road to the Second Vatican Council's Nostra Aetate has been convoluted. Institutionally, the Christian churches came to grips with the relationship between Christianity and Judaism as well as the Christian role in developing historical antisemitism. The dialogue between Jews and Christians may now have to be enhanced and deepen its discernment before a further refinement of Christian institutional identity can be realized. Judaism and Christianity owe their origins to their respective perceptions of God's revelation.
