Emma O’Donnell Polyakov – författare

The Nun in the Synagogue documents the religious and cultural phenomenon of Judeocentric Catholicism that arose in the wake of the Holocaust, fueled by survivors who converted to Catholicism and immigrated to Israel as well as by Catholics determined to address the anti-Judaism inherent in the Church. Through an ethnographic study of selected nuns and monks, Emma O’Donnell Polyakov explores how this Judeocentric Catholic phenomenon began and continues to take shape in Israel.This book is a case study in Catholic perceptions of Jews, Judaism, and the state of Israel during a time of rapidly changing theological and cultural contexts. In it, Polyakov listens to and analyzes the stories of individuals living on the border between Christian and Jewish identity—including Jewish converts to Catholicism who continue to harbor a strong sense of Jewish identity and philosemitic Catholics who attend synagogue services every Shabbat. Polyakov traces the societal, theological, and personal influences that have given rise to this phenomenon and presents a balanced analysis that addresses the hermeneutical problems of interpreting Jews through Christian frameworks. Ultimately, she argues that, despite its problems, this movement signals a pluralistic evolution of Catholic understandings of Judaism and may prove to be a harbinger of future directions in Jewish-Christian relations.Highly original and methodologically sophisticated, The Nun in the Synagogue is a captivating exploration of biographical narratives and reflections on faith, conversion, Holocaust trauma, Zionism, and religious identity that lays the groundwork for future research in the field.

The Nun in the Synagogue documents the religious and cultural phenomenon of Judeocentric Catholicism that arose in the wake of the Holocaust, fueled by survivors who converted to Catholicism and immigrated to Israel as well as by Catholics determined to address the anti-Judaism inherent in the Church. Through an ethnographic study of selected nuns and monks, Emma O’Donnell Polyakov explores how this Judeocentric Catholic phenomenon began and continues to take shape in Israel.This book is a case study in Catholic perceptions of Jews, Judaism, and the state of Israel during a time of rapidly changing theological and cultural contexts. In it, Polyakov listens to and analyzes the stories of individuals living on the border between Christian and Jewish identity—including Jewish converts to Catholicism who continue to harbor a strong sense of Jewish identity and philosemitic Catholics who attend synagogue services every Shabbat. Polyakov traces the societal, theological, and personal influences that have given rise to this phenomenon and presents a balanced analysis that addresses the hermeneutical problems of interpreting Jews through Christian frameworks. Ultimately, she argues that, despite its problems, this movement signals a pluralistic evolution of Catholic understandings of Judaism and may prove to be a harbinger of future directions in Jewish-Christian relations.Highly original and methodologically sophisticated, The Nun in the Synagogue is a captivating exploration of biographical narratives and reflections on faith, conversion, Holocaust trauma, Zionism, and religious identity that lays the groundwork for future research in the field.

Investigating a range of eschatological ideologies, this volume explores the connection between notions of sacred space and time in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim understandings of Jerusalem.The recognition of Jerusalem as a holy city both unites and divides Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. While these three religious traditions share a reverence for the same ancient city, this veneration leads more often to tension and violence than to commonality and cooperation.Each of these religions draws heavily from religious memory and eschatological prophecies, and sees Jerusalem as a site of past and future upheaval; however, the distinctions in their visions imbue Jerusalem with meanings that reinforce conflicting and contested ideologies. Offering multiple analyses of religious interpretations of the city and its sacred sites, this volume explores these divergent visions of the remembered and anticipated Jerusalem.

Investigating a range of eschatological ideologies, this volume explores the connection between notions of sacred space and time in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim understandings of Jerusalem.The recognition of Jerusalem as a holy city both unites and divides Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. While these three religious traditions share a reverence for the same ancient city, this veneration leads more often to tension and violence than to commonality and cooperation.Each of these religions draws heavily from religious memory and eschatological prophecies, and sees Jerusalem as a site of past and future upheaval; however, the distinctions in their visions imbue Jerusalem with meanings that reinforce conflicting and contested ideologies. Offering multiple analyses of religious interpretations of the city and its sacred sites, this volume explores these divergent visions of the remembered and anticipated Jerusalem.