Helsinki Conference on Jewish Continuity in the Church Unites and Challenges

June 24, 2010 - 12:51 PDT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY

ARCADIA, CA (June 24, 2010) - The FIRST ecumenical conference of Jewish believers in Jesus in modern times met in Helsinki, Finland June 14-15 2010 to affirm their Jewish identity, their faith in Jesus and their desire for unity.

Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Messianic scholars - all of them Jewish - met to discuss the global growth of Jewish believers in Jesus in a conference jointly organized by Messianic Jewish Theological Institute (MJTI) and the Helsinki Studium Catholicum. They issued a statement affirming the significance of Jewish continuity in the Church, as an ongoing link between its historic beginnings, its present life, and its future hope.

Dr. Mark Kinzer, President of MJTI, said "this was an unprecedented conference bringing together Jews who believe in Jesus as Messiah from a very wide range of communities and traditions. We met together to discuss the presence of Jews in our respective congregations and the issues we face. The increasing number of Jewish followers of Jesus is a phenomenon of great importance, impacting the worldwide Church as it rediscovers the Jewish roots and character of its faith. The presence of Jews in its midst is a resource and means of blessing that the historic churches can not afford to ignore."

Father Antoine Lévy, OP, Director of the Helsinki Studium Catholicum, affirmed the continuing identity of Jews in their various Christian congregations and offered his own perspective on the unique condition and calling of Jewish disciples of Christ. "We exist, and despite 2,000 years where the Church and the Jewish people have been separated and often hostile to each other, we are a living bond that demonstrates the Messiah Jesus' own solidarity with His people, as much as the richness of the heritage of Israel that has been opened up to the Church made up of Israel and the nations."

Fifteen scholars and theologians from eight countries met for two days of open conference and two days of working sessions to issue a document, the Helsinki Statement. Topics discussed included Jewish identity in the Messiah; responding to anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism; the place of Messianic Jewish worship and observance; the Jewishness of Jesus; the biblical, theological and historical background to the present situation of Jewish believers in Jesus; and future plans. The papers presented are due to be published in the journal Kesher, an academic journal of MJTI. A similar event is planned for 2011.

Speakers from Europe, Russia, Israel and the United States included Father David Neuhaus, SJ, Patriarchal Vicar General for Hebrew speaking Catholics, and Boris Balter, Researcher in Physics at the Russian Academy of Sciences and member of the Judeo-Christian circle "Bridge of Friendship". Conference papers were given in English and Russian.

For more information contact:
Dr. Mark Kinzer: +1 -530-334-6584
president@mjti.com
Messianic Jewish Theological Institute
PO Box 54410,
Los Angeles, CA 90054
USA

Antoine Lévy O.P.: +358 (0)50 304 2778
antoine.levy@studium.fi
Studium Catholicum
Ritarikatu 3 B A 4
00170 Helsinki
Finland

HELSINKI STATEMENT

Helsinki Consultation on Jewish Continuity in the Body of Messiah
June 14-15, 2010

Jewish believers in Yeshua (Jesus) from England, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Russia, and the United States met in Helsinki, Finland, on June 14-15, 2010. As scholars belonging to Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, and Messianic communities, they began a conversation on Jewish continuity in the Body of Jesus the Messiah. They issued the following statement:

We thank God for bringing us as Jews to the knowledge of Jesus the Messiah, and we express a debt of gratitude to those from the Nations who have transmitted the knowledge of Christ from generation to generation. While we seek to speak on behalf of those who share our Jewish identity and faith in Christ, we have no official mandate from our respective communities. In what follows we are expressing our own deeply held convictions.

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At this unprecedented event, we have experienced the depth of our bond, and at the same time we have wrestled with the diversity of our ingrained theological and cultural constructs. In spite of church divisions, we have come together as Jews who believe in Jesus. We hope that sharing the fruit of our common efforts will benefit our brothers and sisters in Christ. We do not aim to issue a definitive declaration, but to initiate an ongoing process of discussion.

There are many Jewish people in the body of Christ. We believe that this reality reflects God's intention that Israel and the Nations live as mutual blessings to one another. In fact, the Church in its essence is the communion of Jews and those from the Nations called to faith in Christ.

In light of this truth, we think that the life of Jews in the body of Christ has theological significance for that body as a whole. Their presence serves as a constant reminder to the body that its existence is rooted in the ongoing story of the people of Israel. This story resounds throughout the celebration of the liturgical life of the community. We believe that this story finds its center in Israel's Messiah. We believe that Jews within the body are a living bond between the Church and the people of Israel. Accordingly, we would like to explore concrete ways in which Jewish people may live out their distinctive calling in the body of Christ.

Finally, we wish to express to our Jewish brothers and sisters who do not share our faith in Jesus the Messiah that we consider ourselves to be part of the Jewish people and are committed to its welfare.

Signed in a personal capacity by:

Boris Balter
Steve Cohen
Richard Harvey
Mark Kinzer
Antoine Levy
Iulia Matushanskaja
David Neuhaus
Vladimir Pikman
Jennifer Rosner
David Rudolph
Anna Shmain-Velikanova
Olivier Zalmanski

CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS AND PAPERS PRESENTED

Boris Balter, Orthodox (Moscow), Researcher in Physics at the Russian Academy of Sciences -"Self-Identification of Old Israel within New Israel as a Problem: the Experience of Jewish Orthodox Christians in Russia".

Steve Cohen, Lutheran (St Louis, USA), founder of the "Apple of his Eye" mission society -"Expressing Jewish Identity in a Lutheran Setting. Obstacles and Opportunity in the Modern Era".

Deacon Leonid Djalilov, Orthodox (Moscow), specialist in Lev Gillet´s theology - "The Sabbath Day in the Liturgy of the Orthodox Church".


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Dr. Richard Harvey, Messianic (London), Director of Training at All Nations Christian College, author of "Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology" - "Lessons from the History of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance".

Dr. Mark Kinzer, Messianic (Ann Arbor, USA), President of Messianic Jewish Theological Institute, author of "Postmissionary Messianic Judaism" - "Israel, the Church, and Bilateral Ecclesiology".

Fr. Antoine Levy, OP, Catholic (Helsinki), Director of the "Studium Catholicum", adjunct-professor at Helsinki University Faculty of Theology, "Messianic Ecclesiology: the Ecumenical Factor".

Dr. Iulia Matushanskaja, Messianic (Kazan, Russia), Professor of Bible - "The Messianic Movement in the Russian Empire".

Fr. David Neuhaus, SJ, Catholic (Jerusalem), Patriarchal Vicar General for Hebrew speaking Catholics in Israel - "The Implicit Ecclesiology of the Catholic Kehilla in Israel".

Rabbi Vladimir Pikman, Messianic (Berlin), Vice-President of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance, Executive Director of "Beit Sar Shalom" ministry - "The Russian Messianic Movement and the Body of Messiah: Its Significance and Implications for the Church".

Jennifer Rosner, Messianic (Los Angeles), Instructor at Azusa Pacific University - "'Salvation is from the Jews': An Assessment and Critique of Karl Barth on Judaism and the Jewish People".

Dr. David Rudolph, Messianic (Los Angeles), Assistant Professor of Bible and Theology, Messianic Jewish Theological Institute.


Dr. Anna Shmain-Velikanova, Orthodox (Moscow), Prof. of Jewish Studies, Russian State University for Humanities (RGGU) - "Khurbinek: Some thoughts on the Church of Israel".

Joseph Shulam, Messianic (Jerusalem), Director of the Netivyah Bible instruction ministry - "Jews and Gentiles within the Messianic Movement: the Concrete Situation and Its Ecclesiological Agenda".

Yuri Tabak (Moscow), lecturer on Jewish-Christian relations and Judaica, Russian editor of the International Council of Christians and Jews´ website - "Christianized and Messianic Jews - Real Problems and Prospects from the Point of View of Religious Sciences".

Fr. Olivier Zalmanski, OP, Catholic (Paris), Center of Studies "Istina".

Contact

MJTI Center for Jewish-Christian Relations
http://www.mjti.com
CA, 91006 US
David Rudolph - Coordinator,

Keywords

Jewish, Christian, Catholic, Ecumenical, Messianic, Orthodox, Lutheran

Category

OTHER

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