Amy-Jill Levine, a scholar of New Testament and Jewish studies, was elected president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America in a recent announcement. The association, comprising Catholic and non-Catholic scholars dedicated to improving biblical study within a faith context, selected Levine based on her extensive academic credentials and her longtime involvement in interfaith dialogue.
The election announcement prompted antisemitic responses on social media platforms. Critics made various objections, including questioning the appointment of a non-Catholic leader, making derogatory statements about Jews and Christianity, and adding anti-Zionist commentary to their critiques. The backlash coincides with a period of elevated antisemitism in the country.
Leadership at the Catholic Biblical Association and other figures in the Catholic hierarchy publicly supported Levine’s selection. The association’s executive leadership stated that Levine was elected based on her exceptional scholarship and significant contributions to Catholic-Jewish dialogue, not her religious background. Bishop Joseph Bambera of Scranton, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committee on interfaith relations, sent congratulations to Levine, characterizing her election as recognition of interfaith biblical scholarship and decades of Jewish-Catholic collaborative work. Past association presidents issued a joint statement supporting her and emphasizing that the values reflected in the critical posts do not align with Christian teachings.
Levine, who practices Orthodox Judaism, has spent her career studying the ancient Jewish context of Jesus and his teachings. She has written numerous books, some co-authored with Christian scholars, and presented works to Pope Francis. While she does not accept Christian doctrine regarding Jesus’ divinity, she characterizes him as an early rabbinic teacher and believes mutual learning between Christians and Jews is valuable. As president, Levine aims to promote biblical scholarship excellence and work toward ensuring that Catholic educational materials and preaching do not contain antisemitic messages or stereotypes about Judaism and Jewish law.
The Vatican has officially opposed antisemitism in recent decades, with the Second Vatican Council affirming shared Christian-Jewish heritage and stating that Jesus’ death cannot be attributed collectively to Jewish people. Pope John Paul II made reconciliation with Jews a priority during his papacy, describing antisemitism as indefensible.
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