"Good evening, I'm Chevy Chase and you're not."
The above statement famously opened Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update segment during its heyday in the 1970s. Yesterday evening, author John Carroll invoked it to kick off a markedly different event: a discussion panel on relations between the Catholic Church and Jews and the resultant principles of exclusivity.
Although Chase (and Groucho Marx) received a few more mentions before discussions concluded, the mood tended to be far more sobering.
Carroll's appearance in Hanover, timed midway through both Passover and Catholicism's Holy Week, comes as part of the promotion of his recently published work, "Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews."
The "sword" mentioned in this title is the cross; Carroll argues that the emphasis Christianity places on the crucifixion provided the foundation for anti-Semitism.
The book sets out to narrate the 2000 years of conflict between the two religions, describes Carroll's own crisis of faith, and finally suggests radical reforms within the Catholic Church.
The book has been met with controversy because of the reforms it suggests, as Carroll proposes the formation of a third Vatican council that would drop the cross as a religious symbol, institute a "sacrament of apology," and abandon such purportedly divisive terms as New and Old Testament.
Speaking to a near-capacity crowd at Filene Auditorium of mainly community members and that a few scattered students, Carroll said people should view history as an opportunity to right past wrongs and accept collective responsibility.
"Everyone in this room knows where the history of anti-Semitism led ... You'll all remember from junior high school that every story has a beginning, middle, and end," he commented.
Carroll, himself a practicing Catholic, noted that he traces his attention to this subject to a childhood incident in which he invited his best friend to a private swimming pool.
"He told me, 'We don't go there; it's a club and we are Jews.' I didn't understand what he was telling me, but I never forgot it," he said.
Following Carroll's comments, three Dartmouth professors responded to the piece's radical nature. Associate Professor Tom Luxon of the English department took the podium first.
"It's an epic fantasy," Luxon said of Carroll's suggestion that Jewish and Catholic leaders meet under the venerable dome of St. Paul's Basilica.
Though largely critical of Carroll's more ambitious notions, Luxon did commend his bravery in writing the book. Luxon agreed with Carroll's statement that damnation theology should be dropped as a religious doctrine, and hailed those groups which have already done so.
"Standing on the heels of those communities [Quakers, Unitarians] might be more effective than Vatican III," Luxon commented.
Susanna Heschel, chair of the Jewish studies program, addressed a perceived disparity in reactions to the book -- namely that the Jewish press hailed it as brilliant, while many Catholic periodicals have published negative reviews.
"I realize how wide the gap is between us [Catholics and Jews] after all," she said.
Finally, Associate Professor of Religion Charles Stinson spoke about his own specialty in church history. He commented on the relevance of the Spanish Inquisition and Eastern Europe's pogrom, and noted the discrepancy in interest in theological debate between the two groups.
"I don't know if any Jewish Rabbis ever said, 'Hey, let's have a disputation.' It relates to this kind of neurosis and curious self-doubt Christians have," he said.
Stinson also echoed Luxon's sentiments regarding the ambition of Carroll's proposals, saying, "['Constantine's Sword'] said Vatican III, and when I read it, it looked more like Vatican IV, V, VI."
Carroll concluded the evening by responding to criticism from the panel and his audience during a brief question and answer segment. He responded to the panelists' perception that the Catholic Church is averse to change.
"I admit it's a dream," he said of his hefty aims for Vatican III. "But it's nothing compared to the changes the church went through with Constantine or Aquinas ... That didn't take Vatican XVII, it took one genius."
The event was presented by the College's department of religion, with the Jewish studies program taking co-sponsoring duties.
