| Augustine of Hippo's (354--430) theology of Jews and Judaism is examined, with a primary focus on how his exegesis of Genesis 4:1--15 serves as the foundational biblical text for his teaching on Jews and their religious customs. Specifically, this study has focused on the formulation of Augustine's intricate typological reading of Genesis 4:1--15, the story of Cain and Abel. On the basis of his interpretation of this biblical passage, Augustine constructs an elaborate and detailed typological association between the biblical figure of Cain and the Jews. Here Augustine parts company with the Christian exegetical tradition prior to him. On the basis of a typological reading of Genesis 4:1--15, Augustine proposes that Jews serve as a witness people to the truths of Christianity. Because of their role, he insists upon a policy of non-violence toward the Jews by arguing that they stand under divine protection. The mark of their divine protection is their Torah observance. Consequently, Augustine proposes a theological justification for the existence of contemporary Judaism. Augustine's insistence that Jews be allowed to observe their ancestral customs is not entirely new. A careful examination of the Theodosian Code, Roman imperial legislation, reveals that even Christian emperors still maintained the ancient and venerable Roman legal tradition that granted Jews permission to observe their own religious practices, even during a period when public expressions of traditional Roman polytheistic practices are being increasingly censured. What is new in Augustine's teaching is that he recognizes the continuing presence of Judaism in society and, hence, he forges an innovative Christian understanding of Jewish Torah observance after the first coming of Christ. |
