Peter Phan's Essay Jesus As The Universal Faith

The religious creation story goes something like: humans were created in God’s perfect image, humans were tempted by sin, humans committed sin, humans were thrown out of perfection because they were sinful. Judaism and Christianity both hold this creation story near and dear to their respective traditions. For most of human history, Jews and Christians have held their differences against each other, creating tension and discord with one another. Yet in the past 52 years, since the publication of Nostra Aetate in 1966, dialogue between these two religious traditions has emerged. The new discipline of formal interreligious dialogue has made great strides. Peter Phan, a Catholic theologian who favors religious plurality, is an exemplary leader from one religious tradition committed to learning from leaders in other religions. Within the second half of Phan’s essay, “Jesus as the Universal Savior in the Light of God’s Eternal Covenant with the Jewish People: A Roman Catholic Perspective,” evidence clearly exists that suggests Phan has learned a great deal from Jewish
Within Phan’s ten elements for a post-supersessionist Christology, he references the commonalities that the previous Jewish scholars identify. Phan states that God allows both the people of Israel and the people of the Church to “exist side by side in order to instruct and encourage each” (Phan, 2005). He stands by the fact that there are multiple covenants that exist between God and God’s people, and they are all divine covenants that need to be respected and valued (Phan, 2005). This is what Phan calls for, a religious plurality that is “not just a matter of fact but also a matter of religious principle” (Phan, 2005). By focusing on commonalities that exist between Judaism and Christianity, this plurality can emerge, and it can emerge as an entity that is mutually respectful and enriching for