Description
Book SynopsisThis study provides the first in-depth examination of the role and influence of American Christians in the advocacy efforts for Soviet Jewry during the 1970s and 1980s. It explores how American Catholics and Protestants engaged with American Jews to campaign for the emigration of Soviet Jews and to end the cultural and religious discrimination against them. The book presents a case study of the National Interreligious Task Force on Soviet Jewry from its inception to its closure in order to better understand the complexities of the politics of interreligious affairs during this period. At the heart of the story is Sister Ann Gillen of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, who directed the Chicago-based task force under the auspices of the American Jewish Committee. The author provides a comprehensive look at task force activities, programs, and relationships, notes its ties to the civil rights movement, and offers in-depth analysis of its participation and role in the global arena. Ameri
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Vatican II: A Revolution in Catholic Jewish Relations and the Appearance of the “New Nuns” Chapter 3: Establishing the Task Force Chapter 4: The Early Years of the Task Force Chapter 5: The Brussels II Conference Chapter 6: The Helsinki Accords and Persecuted Christians in the Soviet Union Chapter 7: International Conferences and the Interreligious Legal Task Force on Human Rights Chapter 8: Continuity and Change in the mid-1980s—an Alliance with Evangelical Protestants Chapter 9: Closing the Task Force Chapter 10: Conclusion
