Honors Thesis Spotlight: Jhozef Sheldia on Coherence in Dialogue: The Salvation of the Jews in Catholic Teaching

Jhozef Sheldia, a 2024 graduate in Jewish Studies, authored a distinguished senior thesis that received high praise for its research and theological insight. He is currently pursuing graduate studies at Harvard Divinity School, continuing his focus on Religion and Philosophy.

His thesis, titled Coherence in Dialogue: The Salvation of the Jews in Catholic Teaching, engages with the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.

Abstract:

This thesis examines the theological and practical implications of Catholic–Jewish relations in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, with particular attention to the declaration Nostra Aetate. While the Council marked a historic repudiation of antisemitism and affirmed the enduring relationship between God and the Jewish people, it also introduced unresolved theological questions that continue to shape dialogue today. Three interrelated areas form the focus of this study: the meaning of baptism and salvation after Vatican II, the challenge of engaging Jewish self-definition within Catholic theology, and the possible theological significance of the State of Israel. Through close analysis of conciliar and post-conciliar documents alongside the contributions of Catholic and Jewish thinkers, this work evaluates competing theological models, including pluralist approaches that risk relativism and exclusivist readings that undermine dialogue. This thesis proposes a framework for Catholic–Jewish relations that maintains theological integrity on these three questions while fostering genuine dialogue and cooperation. Ultimately, it argues that only by directly addressing theological disagreements can the Catholic Church build a foundation that ensures the continued vitality of Catholic–Jewish dialogue.