Dr. Celia Deutsch, N.D.S. is a Research Scholar in the Religion Department at Barnard College and a member of the Sisters of Sion, a small international Roman Catholic religious congregation with a presence in five continents. Her presentation, “A Journey to Dialogue: The Sisters of Sion and Jewish-Christian Relations,” will reflect on the Sisters’ activities during World War II, particularly their participation in rescue efforts in the context of pre-War conversations occurring in Europe, mainly in France. Dr. Deutsch will follow their path through the tragic years of the Shoah to the hard work leading to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and The Declaration on the Church’s Relation to Non-Christian Religions (Nostra Aetate).
It has been more than 50 years since that milestone in Jewish-Christian relations and progress toward interfaith collaboration. In the decades since that time Roman Catholic understanding of Theology, Sacred Scripture and Church History has undergone significant changes, often in response to the ongoing conversations with Jews. We have come to appreciate the ways in which our relationships call us to the work of social justice and, together into new relationships with Muslims and other religious traditions, to strive for peace on the global, national and local levels.
The event is free and open to the public and will be held in the Nursing Amphitheatre in the Nursing Building at Seton Hall University (South Orange campus) from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Please RSVP here.