The merits of ‘moral ecumenism’: secularism, suspicion, and Jewish-Christian relations in twentieth-century Britain

This article uses the history of Jewish-Christian relations in twentieth-century Britain to shed light on the theological and political changes which have shaped inter-faith dialogue, and explore religious responses to the perceived acceleration of secularism. In-so-doing it questions the centrality of antisemitism and the Holocaust as the key drivers of change in Jewish-Christian relations and highlights the importance of broader shifts in religious belief, and a growing perception of ‘common ground’ between faiths. While Jewish-Christian relations in Britain are now frequently presented as a model of interfaith cooperation, this article argues that longstanding theological and political challenges have continued to problematise this role-model status.