From Sinai to Rome: Jewish Identity in the Catholic Church

by Angela Costley (Editor), Gavin D'Costa (Editor)

Can you be a Jewish Catholic? At first glance, the idea could seem scandalous. Catholics affirm that Jesus is the Messiah; Jews do not. Jews hold that the Torah’s precepts should be diligently kept; Catholic Christians hold that Christ has fulfilled the law. Can they really be reconciled?Yet Jesus, a Jew, tells us that “salvation comes from the Jews” (Jn 4:22). Pope Pius XII once remarked, “Spiritually, we [Catholics] are all Semites.” In a sense, Christians are Jews by adoption, as Saint Paul writes to the Romans. Since the days of Peter and Paul, the Church has struggled to understand her close yet complex relationship with the people from whom she came, at times stressing stark differences, at times treasuring their close brotherhood.This essential collection by Professors Angela Costley and Gavin D’Costa examines the question of Jewish–Catholic relations from every angle. With contributions from some of the Church’s greatest theological minds—Scott Hahn, Brant Pitre, Bruce Marshall, Roy Schoeman, Robert Fastiggi, Lawrence Feingold, Fr. Antoine Levy, and Fr. David Neuhaus—From Sinai to Rome probes the possibility of Hebrew Catholicism, which nurtures its Old Covenant roots from within the Church.This book refuses to shy away from historical knots in Catholic and Jewish relations, but seeks to understand them thoroughly, in the context of the sacred Catholic tradition. This timely volume gives intellectual grounds for the hope that Jews might find their true homeland in Christ, with the holy Church that he himself founded. KEY POINTSA rigorous study of the rich relationship between Judaism and CatholicismAn in-depth account of the Church’s Old Testament rootsAn honest, focused summary of the Church’s complex history with Jewish practiceA robust exploration,Th of a possible Hebrew liturgical rite within the Church

Genres: Theology

284 pages, Paperback

Published August 29, 2025

Reviews

[Cecilia Cicone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating. A great primer on understanding Judaism and the Jewish people from a Catholic perspective with essays from a wide range of scholars including Brant Pitre and Scott Hahn.

[Ephrem Upart · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thrilling collection of essays! I’ve been in dialogue with Mark Kinzer and Antoine Levy, OP, and it’s nice to see other prominent authors write on the question of Jewish Identity within the Catholic Church and the larger question of Jewish-Christian dialogue. I sincerely hope that this book raises further questions, inspiring new generations of scholars to continue to explore the significance of what both Scripture and Tradition have to say! Enjoyed every page.