“The overall question is ‘How did it happen that the Jews became identified as enemies of Christians?’”—Chris Keith

The quotation in the title of this post is from Anders Runesson in an interview appearing on McMaster University's website, which announces his successful application for a massive research grant from the Swedish Research Council.  His colleagues on the project are Karin Hedner-Zetterholm, Magnus Zetterholm (both of Lund), and Cecilia Wassen (Uppsala).  Congratulations to each of them!  The project sounds extremely exciting and is nothing less than a re-consideration of five centuries of Jewish-Christian relations: 

"The four-year research project entitled Beyond Theology: Ancient Polemics, Identity Formation, and Modern Scholarship’ has received a grant totalling the equivalent of $1.8-million Canadian dollars from the Swedish Research Council. 

The research will be divided into four parts. Through sociologically informed studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the historical Jesus, New Testament texts and Rabbinic Judaism, the aim is to explain the origins of doctrines about ‘the other’ that have lead to antagonism, violence and persecution. In the process, light is shed on the very beginnings of Christianity and Judaism as we know these religions today."

This important project is one to watch and I know many of us will be.  Congrats, again, to Anders and team!