Pinchas Lapide[pronunciation?] (28 November 1922 – 23 October 1997) was a Jewishtheologian and Israeli historian.[1] He was an Israeli diplomat from 1951 to 1969, among other position acting as Israeli Consul to Milan, and was instrumental in gaining recognition for the young state of Israel. He wrote more than 35 books during his lifetime. Lapide was married to Ruth Lapide with whom he shared his interests and endeavors.
Lapide was born in Vienna to a Jewish family as Erwin Pinchas Spitzer. During the Second World War, managed to escape from Europe and reached Palestine. After the war, studied Romance philology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Three Popes and the Jewsedit
In 1967 Lapide published his book "Three Popes and the Jews" which set out to answer the charges raised in Rolf Hochhuth's play The Deputy which contained criticisms of World War II Pope Pius XII and his response to the unfolding Holocaust.[2]
Lapide credits Pope Pius XII for heading the effort to save hundreds of thousands of Jewish lives:
...the Catholic Church, under the pontificate of Pius XII was instrumental in saving at least 700,000, but probably as many as 860,000, Jews from certain death at Nazi hands.... These figures, small as they are in comparison with our six million martyrs whose fate is beyond consolation, exceed by far those saved by all other churches, religious institutions and rescue organizations combined.[3]
After analyzing the available information he concludes:
Were I a Catholic, perhaps I should have expected the Pope, as the avowed representative of Christ on earth, to speak out for justice and against murder - irrespective of the consequences. But as a Jew, I view the Church and the Papacy as human institutions, as frail and fallible as all the rest of us. Frail and fallible, Pius had choices thrust upon him time and time again, which would have made a lesser man falter. The 261st Pope was, after all, merely the First Catholic, heir to many prejudices of his predecessors and shortcomings of his 500 million fellow believers. The primary guilt for the slaughter of a third of my people is that of the Nazis who perpetrated the holocaust. But the secondary guilt lies in the universal failure of Christendom to try and avert or, at least, mitigate the disaster; to live up to its own ethical and moral principles, when conscience cried out: Save!, whilst expediency counselled aloofness. Accomplices are all those countless millions who knew my brothers were dying, but yet chose not to see, refused to help and kept their peace. Only against the background of such monumental egotism, within the context of millennial Christian anti-Judaism, can one begin to appraise the Pope's wartime record. When armed force ruled well-nigh omnipotent, and morality was at its lowest ebb, Pius XII commanded none of the former and could only appeal to the latter, in confronting, with bare hands, the full might of evil. A sounding protest, which might turn out to be self-thwarting - or quiet, piecemeal rescue? Loud words - or prudent deeds? The dilemma must have been sheer agony, for which ever course he chose, horrible consequences were inevitable. Unable to cure the sickness of an entire civilization, and unwilling to bear the brunt of Hitler's fury, the Pope, unlike many far mightier than he, alleviated, relieved, retrieved, appealed, petitioned - and saved as best he could by his own lights. Who, but a prophet or a martyr could have done much more?.[4]
Lapide quoted approvingly Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s observation that "He who begins by loving Christianity better than truth will proceed by loving his own sect or church better than Christianity, and end by loving himself better than all."[5]
Jesus and Lapideedit
In his dialogue with German reformed theologian Jürgen Moltmann, Lapide says:
"On page 139 of his book The Church in the Power of the Spirit (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1977) it says: Through his crucifixion Christ has become the Saviour of the Gentiles. But in his parousia he will also manifest himself as Israel's Messiah.
I find this sentence an acceptable formula of reconciliation."[6]
Moltmann's compelling response:
"Christendom can gain salvation only together with Israel. The Christians will one day be asked, Where are your Jewish brothers and sisters? The church will one day be asked, Where have you left Israel? For the sake of the Jew Jesus there is no ultimate separation between church and Israel. For the sake of the gospel there is provisionally, before the eschatological future, also no fusion. But there is the communal way of the hoping ones."[7]
In their common declaration, Lapide and Moltmann acknowledge that the diverging paths of Christianity and Judaism may only be as consequential as the man-made barriers that hinder rapprochement. Both agree that Christianity and Judaism are pilgrim's paths to the same God.[8]
In another debate on the messianic connotations of Isaiah 53 with Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Lapide posits that the people of Israel collectively are the expiatory lamb of mankind; God visits the sin of Israel with the full impact in order to let guilty mankind survive, a position that Kaiser thought could be interpreted as being close to the traditional evangelical Christian interpretation of Isaiah 53. The interpretation of Israel as a guilt offering is less clear in the mind of Kaiser, when comparing Isaiah 29:13 with Isaiah 53:9:
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth
(Isaiah 53:9 NIV)
“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
(Isaiah 29:13 NIV)
In responding, Lapide sees the selfless sacrifice of the Jewish prophets as synonymous with Israel becoming acceptable through the imputed righteousness of God. Likewise, he understands Jesus' suffering in the context of Isaiah 53 as a microcosm of the suffering of Israel as a people.[9]
To conclude, Lapide accepts Jesus as the Messiah of the Gentiles, a position he substantiates more clearly in his book The Resurrection of Jesus: A Jewish Perspective. Furthermore, he suggests that the return of Jesus in the parousia will show him to be Israel's Messiah. Just as his interfaith agenda prescribed his presentation of Jesus, the same can be said of his unfamiliar and relatively non-threatening portrayal of Paul.[10]
Worksedit
Der Prophet von San Nicandro. Vogt, Berlin 1963, Matthias-Grünewald-Verlag, Mainz 1986. ISBN3-7867-1249-2
Rom und die Juden. Gerhard Hess, Ulm 1967, 1997, 2005 (3.verb.Aufl.). ISBN3-87336-241-4
Die Verwendung des Hebräischen in den christlichen Religionsgemeinschaften mit besonderer Berücksichtigung des Landes Israel. Diss. Kleikamp, Köln 1971.
Er predigte in ihren Synagogen. Mohn, Gütersloh 1980, 2004 (8.Aufl.). ISBN3-579-01400-5
Am Scheitern hoffen lernen. Mohn, Gütersloh 1985, 1988. ISBN3-579-01413-7
Wer war schuld an Jesu Tod? Mohn, Gütersloh 1987, 1989, 2000 (4.Aufl.). ISBN3-579-01419-6
Ist das nicht Josephs Sohn? Jesus im heutigen Judentum. Mohn, Gütersloh 1988 . ISBN3-579-01408-0
Ist die Bibel richtig übersetzt?" 2 Bd. Mohn, Gütersloh 2004. ISBN3-579-05460-0
Der Jude Jesus. Patmos, Düsseldorf 1979, 2003 (3.Aufl.). ISBN3-491-69405-1
Paulus zwischen Damaskus und Qumran. Mohn, Gütersloh 1993, 1995, 2001. ISBN3-579-01425-0
The Resurrection of Jesus: A Jewish Perspective [Paperback] Pinchas Lapide, Wipf & Stock Pub, 2002. ISBN978-1579109080
Jewish monotheism and Christian trinitarian doctrine: A dialogue [Paperback] Pinchas Lapide, Fortress Press (1981), ISBN978-0800614058
Bibliographyedit
In the Spirit of Humanity, a portrait of Pinchas Lapide. In: German Comments. review of politics and culture. Fromm, Osnabrück 32.1993,10 (Oktober). ISSN 0722-883X
Juden und Christen im Dialog. Pinchas Lapide zum 70. Geburtstag. Kleine Hohenheimer Reihe. Bd 25. Akad. der Diözese, Rottenburg-Stuttgart 1993. ISBN3-926297-52-2
In memoriam Pinchas Lapide (1922–1997) - Stimme der Versöhnung. Ansprachen, Reden, Einreden. Bd 8. Kath. Akad., Hamburg 1999. ISBN3-928750-56-9
Ruth Lapide: Pinchas Lapide - Leben und Werk. In: Viktor E. Frankl: Gottsuche und Sinnfrage. Mohn, Gütersloher 2005, S.23. ISBN3-579-05428-7
Referencesedit
^Deák, István (2001). Essays on Hitler's Europe. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN0803266308.
^"Three Popes and the Jews", Pinchas Lapide, Hawthorn, 1967
^"Three Popes and the Jews", Pinchas Lapide, Hawthorn, 1967, pps. 214-15
^"Three Popes and the Jews", Pinchas Lapide, p. 266-267, Hawthorn, 1967
^Pinchas Lapide, Jewish Monotheism and Christian Trinitarian Doctrine, p. 79, 1979 WIPF and STOCK Publishers
^Pinchas Lapide, Jewish Monotheism and Christian Trinitarian Doctrine, p. 90, 1979 WIPF and STOCK Publishers
^Pinchas Lapide, Jewish Monotheism and Christian Trinitarian Doctrine, pp. 91-93, 1979 WIPF and STOCK Publishers
^Do The Messianic Prophecies of the Old Testament Point to Jesus or to Someone Else? - Part 5 by Dr John Ankerberg, Dr. Walter Kaiser, Dr. Pinchas Lapide
^ Langton, Daniel (2010). The Apostle Paul in the Jewish Imagination. Cambridge University Press. pp. 86–89. ISBN9780521517409.
April 10, 2024
pinchas, lapide, pronunciation, november, 1922, october, 1997, jewish, theologian, israeli, historian, israeli, diplomat, from, 1951, 1969, among, other, position, acting, israeli, consul, milan, instrumental, gaining, recognition, young, state, israel, wrote,. Pinchas Lapide pronunciation 28 November 1922 23 October 1997 was a Jewish theologian and Israeli historian 1 He was an Israeli diplomat from 1951 to 1969 among other position acting as Israeli Consul to Milan and was instrumental in gaining recognition for the young state of Israel He wrote more than 35 books during his lifetime Lapide was married to Ruth Lapide with whom he shared his interests and endeavors Pinchas LapideLapide in 1967Born 1922 11 28 28 November 1922Vienna AustriaDied23 October 1997 1997 10 23 aged 74 Frankfurt Hesse GermanyOccupationsTheologianhistorianacademic teacherSpouseRuth Lapide Contents 1 Early life 2 Three Popes and the Jews 3 Jesus and Lapide 4 Works 5 Bibliography 6 ReferencesEarly life editLapide was born in Vienna to a Jewish family as Erwin Pinchas Spitzer During the Second World War managed to escape from Europe and reached Palestine After the war studied Romance philology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem Three Popes and the Jews editIn 1967 Lapide published his book Three Popes and the Jews which set out to answer the charges raised in Rolf Hochhuth s play The Deputy which contained criticisms of World War II Pope Pius XII and his response to the unfolding Holocaust 2 Lapide credits Pope Pius XII for heading the effort to save hundreds of thousands of Jewish lives the Catholic Church under the pontificate of Pius XII was instrumental in saving at least 700 000 but probably as many as 860 000 Jews from certain death at Nazi hands These figures small as they are in comparison with our six million martyrs whose fate is beyond consolation exceed by far those saved by all other churches religious institutions and rescue organizations combined 3 After analyzing the available information he concludes Were I a Catholic perhaps I should have expected the Pope as the avowed representative of Christ on earth to speak out for justice and against murder irrespective of the consequences But as a Jew I view the Church and the Papacy as human institutions as frail and fallible as all the rest of us Frail and fallible Pius had choices thrust upon him time and time again which would have made a lesser man falter The 261st Pope was after all merely the First Catholic heir to many prejudices of his predecessors and shortcomings of his 500 million fellow believers The primary guilt for the slaughter of a third of my people is that of the Nazis who perpetrated the holocaust But the secondary guilt lies in the universal failure of Christendom to try and avert or at least mitigate the disaster to live up to its own ethical and moral principles when conscience cried out Save whilst expediency counselled aloofness Accomplices are all those countless millions who knew my brothers were dying but yet chose not to see refused to help and kept their peace Only against the background of such monumental egotism within the context of millennial Christian anti Judaism can one begin to appraise the Pope s wartime record When armed force ruled well nigh omnipotent and morality was at its lowest ebb Pius XII commanded none of the former and could only appeal to the latter in confronting with bare hands the full might of evil A sounding protest which might turn out to be self thwarting or quiet piecemeal rescue Loud words or prudent deeds The dilemma must have been sheer agony for which ever course he chose horrible consequences were inevitable Unable to cure the sickness of an entire civilization and unwilling to bear the brunt of Hitler s fury the Pope unlike many far mightier than he alleviated relieved retrieved appealed petitioned and saved as best he could by his own lights Who but a prophet or a martyr could have done much more 4 Lapide quoted approvingly Samuel Taylor Coleridge s observation that He who begins by loving Christianity better than truth will proceed by loving his own sect or church better than Christianity and end by loving himself better than all 5 Jesus and Lapide editIn his dialogue with German reformed theologian Jurgen Moltmann Lapide says On page 139 of his book The Church in the Power of the Spirit New York Harper amp Row Publishers 1977 it says Through his crucifixion Christ has become the Saviour of the Gentiles But in his parousia he will also manifest himself as Israel s Messiah I find this sentence an acceptable formula of reconciliation 6 Moltmann s compelling response Christendom can gain salvation only together with Israel The Christians will one day be asked Where are your Jewish brothers and sisters The church will one day be asked Where have you left Israel For the sake of the Jew Jesus there is no ultimate separation between church and Israel For the sake of the gospel there is provisionally before the eschatological future also no fusion But there is the communal way of the hoping ones 7 In their common declaration Lapide and Moltmann acknowledge that the diverging paths of Christianity and Judaism may only be as consequential as the man made barriers that hinder rapprochement Both agree that Christianity and Judaism are pilgrim s paths to the same God 8 In another debate on the messianic connotations of Isaiah 53 with Walter C Kaiser Jr Lapide posits that the people of Israel collectively are the expiatory lamb of mankind God visits the sin of Israel with the full impact in order to let guilty mankind survive a position that Kaiser thought could be interpreted as being close to the traditional evangelical Christian interpretation of Isaiah 53 The interpretation of Israel as a guilt offering is less clear in the mind of Kaiser when comparing Isaiah 29 13 with Isaiah 53 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death though he had done no violence nor was any deceit in his mouth Isaiah 53 9 NIV These people come near to me with their mouthand honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me Isaiah 29 13 NIV In responding Lapide sees the selfless sacrifice of the Jewish prophets as synonymous with Israel becoming acceptable through the imputed righteousness of God Likewise he understands Jesus suffering in the context of Isaiah 53 as a microcosm of the suffering of Israel as a people 9 To conclude Lapide accepts Jesus as the Messiah of the Gentiles a position he substantiates more clearly in his book The Resurrection of Jesus A Jewish Perspective Furthermore he suggests that the return of Jesus in the parousia will show him to be Israel s Messiah Just as his interfaith agenda prescribed his presentation of Jesus the same can be said of his unfamiliar and relatively non threatening portrayal of Paul 10 Works editDer Prophet von San Nicandro Vogt Berlin 1963 Matthias Grunewald Verlag Mainz 1986 ISBN 3 7867 1249 2 Rom und die Juden Gerhard Hess Ulm 1967 1997 2005 3 verb Aufl ISBN 3 87336 241 4 Three Popes and the Jews 1967 Nach der Gottesfinsternis Schriftenmissions Verl Gladbeck 1970 Auferstehung Calwer Stuttgart 1977 1991 6 Aufl ISBN 3 7668 0545 2 Die Verwendung des Hebraischen in den christlichen Religionsgemeinschaften mit besonderer Berucksichtigung des Landes Israel Diss Kleikamp Koln 1971 Er predigte in ihren Synagogen Mohn Gutersloh 1980 2004 8 Aufl ISBN 3 579 01400 5 Am Scheitern hoffen lernen Mohn Gutersloh 1985 1988 ISBN 3 579 01413 7 Wer war schuld an Jesu Tod Mohn Gutersloh 1987 1989 2000 4 Aufl ISBN 3 579 01419 6 Ist das nicht Josephs Sohn Jesus im heutigen Judentum Mohn Gutersloh 1988 ISBN 3 579 01408 0 Ist die Bibel richtig ubersetzt 2 Bd Mohn Gutersloh 2004 ISBN 3 579 05460 0 Der Jude Jesus Patmos Dusseldorf 1979 2003 3 Aufl ISBN 3 491 69405 1 Paulus zwischen Damaskus und Qumran Mohn Gutersloh 1993 1995 2001 ISBN 3 579 01425 0 The Resurrection of Jesus A Jewish Perspective Paperback Pinchas Lapide Wipf amp Stock Pub 2002 ISBN 978 1579109080 Jewish monotheism and Christian trinitarian doctrine A dialogue Paperback Pinchas Lapide Fortress Press 1981 ISBN 978 0800614058Bibliography editIn the Spirit of Humanity a portrait of Pinchas Lapide In German Comments review of politics and culture Fromm Osnabruck 32 1993 10 Oktober ISSN 0722 883X Juden und Christen im Dialog Pinchas Lapide zum 70 Geburtstag Kleine Hohenheimer Reihe Bd 25 Akad der Diozese Rottenburg Stuttgart 1993 ISBN 3 926297 52 2 Christoph Mohl Sein grosses Thema Die Juden und die Christen In Reformierte Presse Fischer Zurich 1997 47 In memoriam Pinchas Lapide 1922 1997 Stimme der Versohnung Ansprachen Reden Einreden Bd 8 Kath Akad Hamburg 1999 ISBN 3 928750 56 9 Ruth Lapide Pinchas Lapide Leben und Werk In Viktor E Frankl Gottsuche und Sinnfrage Mohn Gutersloher 2005 S 23 ISBN 3 579 05428 7References edit Deak Istvan 2001 Essays on Hitler s Europe U of Nebraska Press ISBN 0803266308 Three Popes and the Jews Pinchas Lapide Hawthorn 1967 Three Popes and the Jews Pinchas Lapide Hawthorn 1967 pps 214 15 Three Popes and the Jews Pinchas Lapide p 266 267 Hawthorn 1967 Three Popes and the Jews Hawthorn 1967 p 14 Pinchas Lapide Jewish Monotheism and Christian Trinitarian Doctrine p 79 1979 WIPF and STOCK Publishers Pinchas Lapide Jewish Monotheism and Christian Trinitarian Doctrine p 90 1979 WIPF and STOCK Publishers Pinchas Lapide Jewish Monotheism and Christian Trinitarian Doctrine pp 91 93 1979 WIPF and STOCK Publishers Do The Messianic Prophecies of the Old Testament Point to Jesus or to Someone Else Part 5 by Dr John Ankerberg Dr Walter Kaiser Dr Pinchas Lapide Langton Daniel 2010 The Apostle Paul in the Jewish Imagination Cambridge University Press pp 86 89 ISBN 9780521517409 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pinchas Lapide amp oldid 1202512073, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
