Tut and Anita

If one defines civil society as suc-
during perhaps the most intense and
cessfully substituting discourse for
sustained period of popular millenni-
violence, and one that applies the
alism ever seen (50 B.C.E. to 70
same law to elites and commoners,
C.E.). The break with Judaism provid-
then Jewish religious communities
ed enormous new opportunities and
and their biblical legislation and
energetic new directions (converting
rabbinic interpretation fit well.
all the gentiles first), but at the cost of
Thus, the period of the Judges
an immense spiritual trauma that
(1200-1040 B.C.E.) constitutes the
remains 2,000 years later.
first recorded experiments in civil
A dangerous, unresolved expression
society; the unbroken chain of
of that comes, historically, when
Jewish communities that emerged
Christian millennialism turns apoca-
from those experiments represent
lyptic — when significant numbers of
the longest successful maintenance
Christians believe they live in
of civil society on record.
mankind's final generation.
In these conversations, textual exe-
Initially, many apocalyptic
gesis and covenantal communities of
Christians grow interested in Jews.
law generated an astounding intellec-
They are convinced that, if
tual and social creativity — that of
approached with love and sincerity,
Ashkenazic Jewry and the "High
Jews will join in this great millennial
Middle Ages." Thus, it is little surprise
endeavor. This initial optimism, how-
that Jews thrive in civil society; it is
ever, often turns into bitter disap-
our briar patch.
pointment, especially for Christians
On the downside, some Christians
who believe conversion is the key to
do begin their tale of modernity with
millennial bliss.
Jews. They are conspiracists, for whom
In most cases, Jews have objected
Jews are not a benign presence but a
vehemently to conversion efforts and
secret cabal of evil people, plotting from
ended up a sacrificial offering on the
time immemorial to enslave mankind.
altar of Christian millennial aspira-
These Christians represent precisely the
tions. And when those aspirations
people whose wings are clipped by civil
turned secular in one particularly mil-
society — those who
lennial version of socialist
:Rwgzego ''
would use violence to
nationalism, that holocaust
ger their way. They hate
became the Holocaust.
modernity because it
That, fortunately, is not
frustrates them, and
the whole story There are
they blame Jews for
Christians who take the
their impotence. We
Holocaust as a serious chal-
ignore this at our own
lenge to rethink their rela-
risk, especially when a
tionship to Jews, who seek
millennial date comes
dialogue not to convert
around.
them but to understand.
Jews have not only
If these forces do not win
thrown in their lot
out, as they have not for
with civil society, they
most of Christian history,
are among its principal Dr. Richard Landes is
we as Jews lose, civil society
contributors. This is
the director of the Center
loses, and, of course,
the quintessentially
for Millennial Studies at
Christians lose by splitting
Boston University.
millennial, encoded
into two camps, each
dream of Micah and
morally righteous and each
Isaiah's generation.
viewing the other as agents
Here we find the vision of a world of
of Anti-Christ.
civil societies, where the weapons of
The ground of this meeting lies
aristocratic dominance are turned into
precisely in the millennial dream of
tools of honest labor, and where hon-
civil society. Such an encounter occurs
est laborers can enjoy the fruits of
in the Jubilee spirit of egalitarian mil-
their labor undisturbed.
lennialism of Micah's vision, rather
Moreover, our entire relationship
than in the catastrophic one which,
with Christianity — and Islam, for
too-often driven by visions of rampant
that matter — turns on millennial
violence wiping evil from the earth,
issues. The end of time in all three
leads to genocide, totalitarianism and
religions brings the day of the Lord
world-wide war.
and God's Judgment. It is the revela-
So millennialism is at once one of
tion (apocalypse) of true justice and
the most powerfully constructive and
the confounding of evil people and
destructive social forces in human his-
evil counsel.
tory. It is up to us to chose which path
Remember that Christianity arose
prevails.

Toso.

0, 114

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9/ 10

1999

Detroit Jewish News

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