What is your vision for the Catholic Biblical Association, and how do you hope to help guide and shape it as president?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2013 Levine:<\/strong> During my one-year term, I will work with the board of directors and the members to advance the association's goals, including promoting excellence in biblical studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI would also like to continue my work with Catholic clergy and clergy from other denominations, as well as with religious educators, to help eradicate anti-Semitic teachings that stem from a combination of ignorance and a lack of sensitivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I would like to work with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to help ensure that the textbooks used in parish schools, catechesis, and sermons do not promote anti-Semitic messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does his historic appointment mean in the broader context of Catholic-Jewish relations following \u2018<\/strong>Nostra Aetate<\/strong><\/a>\u2019<\/strong> the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on the Church's Relationship with Non-Christian Religions?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2013 Levine:<\/strong> It is clear evidence of the rapprochement between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people over the past 60 years. Pope Benedict XVI wrote (in his 2011 book, *Jesus of Nazareth, Part Two*) that \u201cafter centuries of antagonism, we now see that our task is to bring our two ways of reinterpreting the biblical texts\u2014the Christian and the Jewish\u2014into dialogue if we are to correctly understand God\u2019s will and His word.\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn *Evangelli gaudium*, Pope Francis wrote that \u2018God continues to work among the peoples of the Old Covenant and to bring forth treasures of wisdom that spring from their encounter with his word. For this reason, the Church is also enriched by receiving the values of Judaism.\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My appointment, therefore, is in line with the teachings of the Church. It reflects the trust and respect that people have in me, as well as in the CBA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps this position will allow me to work more closely with the Catholic clergy and religious educators to demonstrate that understanding Jesus and Paul requires knowledge of first-century Jewish practices and beliefs\u2014and that it is not necessary to disparage Judaism or use it as a negative foil to make Jesus look good.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.omnesmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ObispoyLevine.webp\")
Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, Pennsylvania, chair of the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine, in a photo together. (Photo by OSV News\/Courtesy of Tyler Orsburn\/Daniel DuBois).
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nCan you mention any other goals? For example, regarding collaboration between Christians and Jews?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n- Levine:<\/strong> Perhaps this will encourage the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), seminaries, and publishers to make more extensive information available to Catholic readers on Jewish biblical interpretation, the Jewish context of the Gospels and Paul, and the history of Jewish-Catholic relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPerhaps this will help inform Jews\u2014many of whom are unaware of the changes in Church doctrine since \u201cNostra Aetate\u201d\u2014of the enormous progress that has been made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this dialogue, we do not set aside the distinctive features of our own traditions for the sake of interreligious sensitivity. We will disagree on fundamental theological issues, and these will not be resolved until the Messianic age is fully realized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in the meantime, we can collaborate<\/a> to learn from one another and support one another when hatred arises.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow would you summarize, for the average person in church or synagogue, the importance of collaboration among Catholic, Christian, and Jewish scholars in biblical research?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2013 Levine:<\/strong> We are stronger when we do this work together, when we can identify gaps in our knowledge, and when we can contribute different questions to the text based on our own traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFrom a Jewish perspective, reading the New Testament is part of Jewish history. Mary and Jesus were Jewish; Paul, Peter, and James were Jewish as well, and they never lost, denied, or rejected that identity. My work can fill in aspects of my own history that the synagogue did not preserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for the Christian position, the 2002 document from the Pontifical Biblical Commission, \u2018The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible,\u2019 states: \u201cDialogue is possible, since Jews and Christians share a rich common heritage that unites them. It is highly desirable that prejudices and misunderstandings be gradually eliminated on both sides, in order to foster a better understanding of the heritage they share and to strengthen the bonds that unite them.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReclaiming our shared history, better understanding why and how we disagree\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n- Levine:<\/strong> By reading together, we can learn what meanings the texts had in their original contexts, how they have been interpreted over time, and how Jews and Christians came to draw different messages from the shared Scriptures. This work is explored in the book I co-authored with Marc Z. Brettler, *The Bible with and without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently*. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWe are also co-editors of the *Annotated Jewish New Testament* (currently in its third edition, published in 2026 by Oxford University Press). The notes and essays in this volume demonstrate the profound influence of Christian origins on Jewish sources and practices. By studying texts together, we learn more about our neighbors and also about ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can rediscover our shared history, better understand why and how we disagree, see how our relationships have changed over the centuries, and recognize that demonization is not based on facts, nor is it the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In which areas of biblical studies are there significant research opportunities at this time?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2013 Levine:<\/strong> New Testament scholars are recognizing the importance of understanding Jesus and Paul as first-century Jews. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWe realize that Jesus is not abolishing the Torah, but is, in fact, making it stricter. To the commandment against murder, He adds a commandment against anger; to the commandment against adultery, He adds a commandment against lust. These verses from the Sermon on the Mount are not antitheses, but intensifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regarding the question of \u2018an eye for an eye\u2019 versus \u2018turning the other cheek,\u2019 we know that Jews do not go around gouging out people\u2019s eyes. Rather, Rabbinic Judaism makes it clear that, in cases of physical injury, the victim must be compensated. Thus, the rabbis address the aggressor\u2019s responsibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus quotes the saying \u2018an eye for an eye\u2019 and then changes the subject, speaking of a slap on the right cheek\u2014a light tap with the back of the hand intended to rebuke, not to harm. He then gives instructions not to the aggressor, but to the victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
St. Paul and the Torah<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWith regard to ritual purity, we now recognize that Jesus does not disregard the laws of purity, but rather restores people to a state of purity. Furthermore, thanks to archaeology, we have a better understanding of the importance that purity and other Jewish practices held for first-century Jews. These practices reaffirmed Jewish identity in the face of Roman pressure and made Judaism a way of life, rather than merely a belief system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We take Paul seriously as the \u2018Apostle to the Gentiles\u2019 and, therefore, understand that his comments on the Torah are not directed at the Jews. His interest lies in convincing the Gentiles to worship the God of Israel, but not as converts to Judaism\u2014for then only Jews would worship God, and Jews generally expected that in the messianic age the nations would turn to the God of Israel without converting\u2014but as Gentiles in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How would you respond to anti-Semitic reactions\u2014especially on social media\u2014regarding your appointment?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2013 Levine:<\/strong> Ever since my choices were made public, I have been accused of being the daughter of Satan, a cannibal, someone who seeks to destroy the Church, a supporter of the Palestinian genocide, an enemy of Jesus and the Church, and so on. Some people have contacted the CBA office to demand my dismissal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I would also like to continue my work with Catholic clergy and clergy from other denominations, as well as with religious educators, to help eradicate anti-Semitic teachings that stem from a combination of ignorance and a lack of sensitivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I would like to work with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to help ensure that the textbooks used in parish schools, catechesis, and sermons do not promote anti-Semitic messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does his historic appointment mean in the broader context of Catholic-Jewish relations following \u2018<\/strong>Nostra Aetate<\/strong><\/a>\u2019<\/strong> the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on the Church's Relationship with Non-Christian Religions?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2013 Levine:<\/strong> It is clear evidence of the rapprochement between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people over the past 60 years. Pope Benedict XVI wrote (in his 2011 book, *Jesus of Nazareth, Part Two*) that \u201cafter centuries of antagonism, we now see that our task is to bring our two ways of reinterpreting the biblical texts\u2014the Christian and the Jewish\u2014into dialogue if we are to correctly understand God\u2019s will and His word.\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn *Evangelli gaudium*, Pope Francis wrote that \u2018God continues to work among the peoples of the Old Covenant and to bring forth treasures of wisdom that spring from their encounter with his word. For this reason, the Church is also enriched by receiving the values of Judaism.\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My appointment, therefore, is in line with the teachings of the Church. It reflects the trust and respect that people have in me, as well as in the CBA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps this position will allow me to work more closely with the Catholic clergy and religious educators to demonstrate that understanding Jesus and Paul requires knowledge of first-century Jewish practices and beliefs\u2014and that it is not necessary to disparage Judaism or use it as a negative foil to make Jesus look good.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nBishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, Pennsylvania, chair of the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine, in a photo together. (Photo by OSV News\/Courtesy of Tyler Orsburn\/Daniel DuBois).
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nCan you mention any other goals? For example, regarding collaboration between Christians and Jews?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n- Levine:<\/strong> Perhaps this will encourage the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), seminaries, and publishers to make more extensive information available to Catholic readers on Jewish biblical interpretation, the Jewish context of the Gospels and Paul, and the history of Jewish-Catholic relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPerhaps this will help inform Jews\u2014many of whom are unaware of the changes in Church doctrine since \u201cNostra Aetate\u201d\u2014of the enormous progress that has been made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this dialogue, we do not set aside the distinctive features of our own traditions for the sake of interreligious sensitivity. We will disagree on fundamental theological issues, and these will not be resolved until the Messianic age is fully realized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in the meantime, we can collaborate<\/a> to learn from one another and support one another when hatred arises.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow would you summarize, for the average person in church or synagogue, the importance of collaboration among Catholic, Christian, and Jewish scholars in biblical research?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2013 Levine:<\/strong> We are stronger when we do this work together, when we can identify gaps in our knowledge, and when we can contribute different questions to the text based on our own traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFrom a Jewish perspective, reading the New Testament is part of Jewish history. Mary and Jesus were Jewish; Paul, Peter, and James were Jewish as well, and they never lost, denied, or rejected that identity. My work can fill in aspects of my own history that the synagogue did not preserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for the Christian position, the 2002 document from the Pontifical Biblical Commission, \u2018The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible,\u2019 states: \u201cDialogue is possible, since Jews and Christians share a rich common heritage that unites them. It is highly desirable that prejudices and misunderstandings be gradually eliminated on both sides, in order to foster a better understanding of the heritage they share and to strengthen the bonds that unite them.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReclaiming our shared history, better understanding why and how we disagree\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n- Levine:<\/strong> By reading together, we can learn what meanings the texts had in their original contexts, how they have been interpreted over time, and how Jews and Christians came to draw different messages from the shared Scriptures. This work is explored in the book I co-authored with Marc Z. Brettler, *The Bible with and without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently*. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWe are also co-editors of the *Annotated Jewish New Testament* (currently in its third edition, published in 2026 by Oxford University Press). The notes and essays in this volume demonstrate the profound influence of Christian origins on Jewish sources and practices. By studying texts together, we learn more about our neighbors and also about ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can rediscover our shared history, better understand why and how we disagree, see how our relationships have changed over the centuries, and recognize that demonization is not based on facts, nor is it the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In which areas of biblical studies are there significant research opportunities at this time?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2013 Levine:<\/strong> New Testament scholars are recognizing the importance of understanding Jesus and Paul as first-century Jews. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWe realize that Jesus is not abolishing the Torah, but is, in fact, making it stricter. To the commandment against murder, He adds a commandment against anger; to the commandment against adultery, He adds a commandment against lust. These verses from the Sermon on the Mount are not antitheses, but intensifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regarding the question of \u2018an eye for an eye\u2019 versus \u2018turning the other cheek,\u2019 we know that Jews do not go around gouging out people\u2019s eyes. Rather, Rabbinic Judaism makes it clear that, in cases of physical injury, the victim must be compensated. Thus, the rabbis address the aggressor\u2019s responsibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus quotes the saying \u2018an eye for an eye\u2019 and then changes the subject, speaking of a slap on the right cheek\u2014a light tap with the back of the hand intended to rebuke, not to harm. He then gives instructions not to the aggressor, but to the victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
St. Paul and the Torah<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWith regard to ritual purity, we now recognize that Jesus does not disregard the laws of purity, but rather restores people to a state of purity. Furthermore, thanks to archaeology, we have a better understanding of the importance that purity and other Jewish practices held for first-century Jews. These practices reaffirmed Jewish identity in the face of Roman pressure and made Judaism a way of life, rather than merely a belief system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We take Paul seriously as the \u2018Apostle to the Gentiles\u2019 and, therefore, understand that his comments on the Torah are not directed at the Jews. His interest lies in convincing the Gentiles to worship the God of Israel, but not as converts to Judaism\u2014for then only Jews would worship God, and Jews generally expected that in the messianic age the nations would turn to the God of Israel without converting\u2014but as Gentiles in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How would you respond to anti-Semitic reactions\u2014especially on social media\u2014regarding your appointment?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2013 Levine:<\/strong> Ever since my choices were made public, I have been accused of being the daughter of Satan, a cannibal, someone who seeks to destroy the Church, a supporter of the Palestinian genocide, an enemy of Jesus and the Church, and so on. Some people have contacted the CBA office to demand my dismissal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In *Evangelli gaudium*, Pope Francis wrote that \u2018God continues to work among the peoples of the Old Covenant and to bring forth treasures of wisdom that spring from their encounter with his word. For this reason, the Church is also enriched by receiving the values of Judaism.\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My appointment, therefore, is in line with the teachings of the Church. It reflects the trust and respect that people have in me, as well as in the CBA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps this position will allow me to work more closely with the Catholic clergy and religious educators to demonstrate that understanding Jesus and Paul requires knowledge of first-century Jewish practices and beliefs\u2014and that it is not necessary to disparage Judaism or use it as a negative foil to make Jesus look good.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n - Levine:<\/strong> Perhaps this will encourage the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), seminaries, and publishers to make more extensive information available to Catholic readers on Jewish biblical interpretation, the Jewish context of the Gospels and Paul, and the history of Jewish-Catholic relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps this will help inform Jews\u2014many of whom are unaware of the changes in Church doctrine since \u201cNostra Aetate\u201d\u2014of the enormous progress that has been made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this dialogue, we do not set aside the distinctive features of our own traditions for the sake of interreligious sensitivity. We will disagree on fundamental theological issues, and these will not be resolved until the Messianic age is fully realized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But in the meantime, we can collaborate<\/a> to learn from one another and support one another when hatred arises.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Levine:<\/strong> We are stronger when we do this work together, when we can identify gaps in our knowledge, and when we can contribute different questions to the text based on our own traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From a Jewish perspective, reading the New Testament is part of Jewish history. Mary and Jesus were Jewish; Paul, Peter, and James were Jewish as well, and they never lost, denied, or rejected that identity. My work can fill in aspects of my own history that the synagogue did not preserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for the Christian position, the 2002 document from the Pontifical Biblical Commission, \u2018The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible,\u2019 states: \u201cDialogue is possible, since Jews and Christians share a rich common heritage that unites them. It is highly desirable that prejudices and misunderstandings be gradually eliminated on both sides, in order to foster a better understanding of the heritage they share and to strengthen the bonds that unite them.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n - Levine:<\/strong> By reading together, we can learn what meanings the texts had in their original contexts, how they have been interpreted over time, and how Jews and Christians came to draw different messages from the shared Scriptures. This work is explored in the book I co-authored with Marc Z. Brettler, *The Bible with and without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently*. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are also co-editors of the *Annotated Jewish New Testament* (currently in its third edition, published in 2026 by Oxford University Press). The notes and essays in this volume demonstrate the profound influence of Christian origins on Jewish sources and practices. By studying texts together, we learn more about our neighbors and also about ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can rediscover our shared history, better understand why and how we disagree, see how our relationships have changed over the centuries, and recognize that demonization is not based on facts, nor is it the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Levine:<\/strong> New Testament scholars are recognizing the importance of understanding Jesus and Paul as first-century Jews. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We realize that Jesus is not abolishing the Torah, but is, in fact, making it stricter. To the commandment against murder, He adds a commandment against anger; to the commandment against adultery, He adds a commandment against lust. These verses from the Sermon on the Mount are not antitheses, but intensifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regarding the question of \u2018an eye for an eye\u2019 versus \u2018turning the other cheek,\u2019 we know that Jews do not go around gouging out people\u2019s eyes. Rather, Rabbinic Judaism makes it clear that, in cases of physical injury, the victim must be compensated. Thus, the rabbis address the aggressor\u2019s responsibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus quotes the saying \u2018an eye for an eye\u2019 and then changes the subject, speaking of a slap on the right cheek\u2014a light tap with the back of the hand intended to rebuke, not to harm. He then gives instructions not to the aggressor, but to the victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With regard to ritual purity, we now recognize that Jesus does not disregard the laws of purity, but rather restores people to a state of purity. Furthermore, thanks to archaeology, we have a better understanding of the importance that purity and other Jewish practices held for first-century Jews. These practices reaffirmed Jewish identity in the face of Roman pressure and made Judaism a way of life, rather than merely a belief system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We take Paul seriously as the \u2018Apostle to the Gentiles\u2019 and, therefore, understand that his comments on the Torah are not directed at the Jews. His interest lies in convincing the Gentiles to worship the God of Israel, but not as converts to Judaism\u2014for then only Jews would worship God, and Jews generally expected that in the messianic age the nations would turn to the God of Israel without converting\u2014but as Gentiles in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Levine:<\/strong> Ever since my choices were made public, I have been accused of being the daughter of Satan, a cannibal, someone who seeks to destroy the Church, a supporter of the Palestinian genocide, an enemy of Jesus and the Church, and so on. Some people have contacted the CBA office to demand my dismissal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nCan you mention any other goals? For example, regarding collaboration between Christians and Jews?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How would you summarize, for the average person in church or synagogue, the importance of collaboration among Catholic, Christian, and Jewish scholars in biblical research?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReclaiming our shared history, better understanding why and how we disagree\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In which areas of biblical studies are there significant research opportunities at this time?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
St. Paul and the Torah<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How would you respond to anti-Semitic reactions\u2014especially on social media\u2014regarding your appointment?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n