Contact: Dr. John D. Garr, 678-357-7771, johngarr@hebraiccenter.org
ATLANTA, May 25, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- As a result of continuing dialogue with scholars associated with the Israel-based Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC), the Hebraic Heritage Christian Center (HHCC), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has developed an Evangelical Christian statement on "Covenant and Witness" to encourage a new era of Christian-Jewish relations based on mutual respect and support.
The statement maintains, "We accept the conclusion of Apostolic Scripture that God's relationship with the Jewish community has never been abrogated but continues in the same realm of divine mystery just as his relationship of steadfast love continues with non-Jewish believers."
HHCC President Dr. John D. Garr says, "In an effort to recover biblical perspectives for Christian relations with the international Jewish community, our team of Evangelical scholars has interacted for many years with leaders from the Jewish community. Most recently we have joined in dialogue with Orthodox Jewish academic and religious leaders for joint consideration of theological and religious issues that are important to both communities."
The HHCC team suggests that it is time for greater mutual understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews. "In order for Christians to engage Jews as fraternal partners in religious dialogue," Garr asserts, "it is essential for Christians to recognize that their Christian faith is rooted in biblical and Second-Temple Judaism and that they are indebted to the Jewish people of history and the present for the core elements of their faith."
The Hebraic Heritage Christian Center encourages other Christian laypersons, ministers, ministries, denominations, and other organizations to join this effort toward rapprochement with the Jewish community so that the historical proto-schism between the two faiths that are based in the Hebrew Scriptures may begin to be resolved to the honor of the one God.
The complete HHCC statement can be seen at www.HebraicCenter.org as well as at CJCUC's website, www.cjcuc.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact Dr. John D. Garr at johngarr@hebraiccenter.org or 678-357-7771.
