Philip A. Cunningham, PhD

• Doctor of Philosophy in Religion and Education, 1992, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
  Dissertation : “A Content Analysis of the Presentation of Jews and Judaism in Current Roman Catholic Religion Textbooks”
• Master of Arts in Religious Education (Theology - NT), 1984, LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA
• Master of Sciences in Education (Curriculum and Teaching), 1977, Fordham Graduate School of Education, Lincoln Center, NY
• Bachelor of Arts (History), 1972, Fordham College, Bronx, NY

• President, International Council of Christians and Jews (2014-2017)
• Secretary-Treasurer, Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations (2000 - present)
• Director, Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations of Saint Joseph's University (2008-present)
• Executive Director, Center for Christian-Jewish Learning, Boston College (2000-2007)
• Director of the Ministry Institute, Notre Dame College (1991-2000)

BOOKS:

• Maxims for Mutuality: Principles for Catholic Theology, Education, and Preaching about Jews and Judaism (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press/Stimulus Book, 2022). [info]
• Seeking Shalom: The Journey to Right Relationship between Catholics and Jews (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015). [info]
• Sharing the Scriptures: Volume 1 of The Word Set Free (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press/Stimulus Books, 2003).
• A Story of Shalom: The Calling of Christians and Jews by a Covenanting God; (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, Stimulus Books, 2001). [info]
• Proclaiming Shalom: Lectionary Introductions to Foster the Catholic and Jewish Relationship (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1995). [info]
• Education for Shalom: Religion Textbooks and the Enhancement of the Catholic and Jewish Relationship (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1995). [info]
• Jesus and the Evangelists: The Ministry of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels (Mahwah/New York: Paulist Press, 1988).
• Jewish Apostle to the Gentiles: Paul As He Saw Himself (Mystic, CT.: Twenty-Third Publications, 1986).

Edited: 

• Pondering the Passion: What’s at Stake for Christians and Jews? (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Williams, 2004). [info]

Co-edited:

• Jesus the Jew / Jesus the Christ: Explorations of His Jewish Identity and Its Meanings (a special volume of Studies in Christian Relations, 2026). [text]
• Enabling Dialogue about the Land: A Resource Book for Jews and Christians (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press/Stimulus Books, 2020). [info]
• Christ Jesus and the Jewish People Today: New Explorations of Theological Interrelationships. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011). [info]
• The Catholic Church and the Jewish People: Recent Reflections from Rome. (New York: Fordham University Press, 2007). [info]
• Walking God’s Paths: Christians and Jews in Candid Conversation – Video series (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Catholic Communications Campaign and The National Council of Synagogues, 2004) and Users’ Guide (2003). [videos]
• Sharing Shalom: A Local Interfaith Dialogue Process (Mahwah/New York: Paulist Press/Stimulus Books, 1998). [info]

BOOK CHAPTERS (selected):

• "Reading the New Testament with an Oppositional Imagination," in Marc Z. Brettler, Mary C. Boys, and Joel N. Lohr, eds., Disruptive Readings: The Work and Wisdom of Amy-Jill Levine (Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2026), 70-85. [text]
• "Reflections on Catholic-Jewish Relations in Light of the Israel-Hamas War," in Carol Rittner and John K. Roth, eds., Stress Test: The Israel-Hamas War and Christian-Jewish Relations (Poughkeepsie, NY: iPub Cloud International, 2025), 81-91. [text]
• “What does ‘Within Judaism’ Mean for Catholic Christians Today?” in Anders Runesson and Karin Hedner Zetterholm, eds., Within Judaism? Interpretive Trajectories in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from the First to the Twenty-First Century (Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2024), 357-371. [text]
• “A Textbook Case—the Pharisees in Catholic Textbooks,” in Joseph Sievers and Amy-Jill Levine, eds., The Pharisees (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishers, 2021), 384-400. [text]
• “From Other to Brother: An Unprecedented Rapprochement in Our Time,” in Clifford Chalmers Cain, ed., Challenges for Christian Faith: Addresses in Honor of C.S. Lewis (Lanham/Boulder/New York/London: Lexington Books, 2021), 71-82. [text]
• “The Import of To Do the Will — a Catholic and Jewish Perspective” [co-authored with Adam Gregerman] in Jehoschua Ahrens, Irving Greenberg, and Eugene Korn, eds., From Confrontation to Covenantal Partnership: Jews and Christians Reflect on the Orthodox Rabbinic Statement “To Do the Will of Our Father in Heaven” (Jerusalem: Urim Publications, 2021), 127-141. [text]
• “Mary Boys,” in Alon Goshen-Gottstein ed, Interreligious Heroes: Role Models and Spiritual Exemplars for Interfaith Practice (Eugene OR: Wipf and Stock, 2021), 257-262. [text]
• “Toward a Catholic Understanding of the Centrality of the Land of Israel for Jewish Covenantal Life,” in Philip A. Cunningham, Ruth Langer, and Jesper Svartvik, eds., Enabling Dialogue about the Land: A Resource Book for Jews and Christians (Mahwah/New York: Paulist Press/Stimulus Books, 2020), 303-334. [text]
• “Celebrating Judaism as a ‘Sacrament of Every Otherness,’” in Kristen Colberg and Robert Krieg, eds., The Theology of Cardinal Walter Kasper: Speaking Truth in Love (St. John’s MN: Liturgical Press, 2014), 223-240. [text]
• "Building a New Relationship: A Catholic Perspective,” Franklin Sherman, ed., Bridges: Documents of the Christian-Jewish Dialogue. Volume Two. Building a New Relationship (1986-2103) (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press/Stimulus Books, 2014), 15-38. [text]
• “Reviving the Catholic Observance of the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus,” in Celia Deutsch, Eugene J. Fisher, and A. James Rudin, eds., Toward the Future: Essays on Catholic-Jewish Relations in Memory of Rabbi Leon Klenicki, eds. (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press/Stimulus Books, 2013), 129-146. [text]
• “Judaism” (with Jan Katzew) in Pim Valkenberg, ed., World Religions in Dialogue: A Comparative Theological Approach (Winona, MN: Anselm Academic, 2013): 7-76.
• “A Tectonic Shift in Relations with Non-Catholics: Witnessing a Transformation,” William Madges and Michael J. Daley, eds., Vatican II: Fifty Personal Stories (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Press. 2012), 183-187.
• “Paul’s Letters and the Relationship between the People of Israel and the Church Today,” Reimund Bieringer and Didier Pollefeyt, eds., Paul and Judaism: Crosscurrents in Pauline Exegesis and the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations (London/New York: T & T Clark, 2012), 141-162. [text]
• “The Road Behind and the Road Ahead: Catholicism and Judaism,” in James Heft, ed., Catholicism and Interreligious Dialogue (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), 23-42.
• "The Road to Reconciliation: A Catholic Perspective," Franklin Sherman, ed., Bridges: Documents of the Christian-Jewish Dialogue. Volume One. The Road to Reconciliation (1945-1985) (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press/Stimulus Books, 2011), 13-26. [text]
• “The Triune One, the Incarnate Logos, and Israel’s Covenantal Life” (with Didier Pollefeyt) in Philip A. Cunningham, et al, eds., Christ Jesus and the Jewish People Today: New Explorations of Theological Interrelationships, (Grand Rapids, MI: William P. Eerdmans Publishing and Rome: Gregorian & Biblical Press, 2011), 183-201. [text]
• “Jews and Christians from the Time of Christ to Constantine’s Reign,” in Albert Lindemann and Richard Levy, eds., Antisemitism: A History (New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), 47-62. [text]
• “Nostra Aetate: A Catholic Act of Metanoia,” in Anthony Cernera, ed., Examining Nostra Aetate After 40 Years: Catholic-Jewish Relations in Our Time (Fairfield, CT: Sacred Heart University Press, 2007).  
• “Covenant and Conversion,” in Mary C. Boys, ed., Seeing Judaism Anew: Christianity’s Sacred Obligation (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005):151-162. [text]
• “Actualizing Matthean Christology in a Post-Supersessionist Church,” in When Judaism and Christianity Began: Essays in Memory of Anthony J. Saldarini (Leiden and Boston: E.J. Brill, 2004): 563-576.
• “Much Will Be Required of the Person Entrusted with Much: Assembling a Passion Drama from the Four Gospels” in Paula Fredriksen, ed., Perspectives on The Passion of the Christ (New York: Miramax Books, 2004): 49-64. [text]
• "A Challenge to Catholic Teaching," Philip A. Cunningham, ed., Pondering the Passion: What’s at Stake for Christians and Jews? (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Williams, 2004). [text]
• “Implications for Magisterial Catholic Teaching on Jews and Judaism," Stephen Pope and Charles Hefling, eds., Sic et Non: Encountering Dominus Iesus (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2002): 134-149. [text] 

ARTICLES, ESSAYS, CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS (selected): 

•  "Challenges to Imagining Jesus as a Jew," Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 21/1 (2026): 1-15. [text]
• "Da avversari a compagni nell’Alleanza" ["From Opponents to Co-Covenanting Companions"] in Avinu 3/1 (April 2026): 29-39. [English original]
• “Die Auswirkungen von Nostra Aetate in den Vereinigten Staaten: Schneller Fortschritt – langsame Reformen“ [“The Impact of Nostra Aetate in the United States: Rapid Progress and Slower Reform,”] Kirche und Israel 40 (December 2025):109-128.  [English original]
• "Catholic-Jewish Relations in the USA Today: Past Progress, Present Problems, Promising Paths," Ecumenical Trends, 53/1 (Jan-Feb 2024): 11-19. [text]
• "American Catholic Attitudes toward Jews, Judaism, and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" [with K. Bumin, A. Gregerman, M. Inbari], Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations, 18/1 (2023): 1-22 [text]
• "Evolving Catholic Expectations of the Other and the Self in Dialogue and Study with Jews," Rabbi Hayim G. Perelmuter Annual Conference, Catholic Theological Union, March 21, 2022 [proceedings unpublished; N.B. comments on "soft supersessionism"]. [text]
• "Covenant" [with Adam Gregerman] in Encyclopedia of Jewish-Christian Relations (Berlin: DeGrutyer, 2021) [text].
• “‘Genuine Brotherhood without Remorse’: A Commentary on Joseph Ratzinger’s ‘Comments on De Iudaeis’” [co-authored with Adam Gregerman], Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations, 14/1 (2019): 1-29. [text]
• “Second Vatican Council,” Encyclopedia of Jewish-Christian Relations (De Gruyter Pub., Berlin, Germany, 2019): 1-29. [text]
• "Emerging Principles of a Theology of Shalom," Horizons: The Journal of the College Theology Society (Dec 2017) [introductory blog; full text]
• “Gifts and Calling: Coming to Terms with Jews as Covenantal Partners,” Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 12/1 (2017). [text]
• “The Sources behind ‘“The Gifts and the Calling of God Are Irrevocable” (Rom 11:29): A Reflection on Theological Questions Pertaining to Catholic-Jewish Relations on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate (No. 4),’” Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 12/1 (2017). [text]
• “‘God Holds the Jews Most Dear’: Learning to Respect Jewish Self-Understanding,” in Gilbert Rosenthal, ed., A Jubilee for All Time: The Copernican Revolution in Jewish-Christian Relations (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2014), 44-58. [text]
• “Implications of Paul’s Hopes for the End of Days for Jews and Christians Today: A Critical Re-evaluation of the Evidence” (with Mark N. Nanos), Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 9/1 (2014). [text]“
• “A Catholic Theology of the Land?: The State of the Question,” Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 8/1(2013): 1-15. [text]
• “Official Ecclesial Documents to Implement the Second Vatican Council on Relations with Jews: Study Them, Become Immersed in Them, and Put Them into Practice,” Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations, Oct. 2009. [text]
• “Reflections from a Roman Catholic on a Reform Theology of Christianity,” CCAR Journal, A Reform Jewish Quarterly (spring 2005): 61-73. [text]
• “The Arrest and Sentencing of Jesus: A Historical Reconstruction,” Journal of Religion and Society, Vol. 6 (2004). [text]
• "Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik: An Interreligious Dialogue," Boston College panel, November 23, 2003. [text]
• Exponent, November 26, 2014. [text]
• "Theology's Sacred Obligation" (with Mary C. Boys and John T. Pawlikowski), America, October 21, 2002 [text]
• "Translating and Excerpting the Johannine Passion Narrative for Liturgical Proclamation," SIDIC (Service International de Documentation Judéo-Chrétienne) 34/3 (2001-2002): 8-18. [text]

RECENT BOOK REVIEWS

• Matthew Levering, Engaging the Doctrine of Israel: A Christian Israelology in Dialogue with Ongoing Judaism in Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 18/1 (2023): 1-12. [text]
• Magda Teter, Christian Supremacy: Reckoning with the Roots of Antisemitism and Racism in Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 18/1 (2023): 1-8. [text]
• Gavin D’Costa, Catholic Doctrines on the Jewish People After Vatican II in Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 15/1 (2020): 1-14. [text]
• Paula Fredriksen, When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation in Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 14/1 (2019): 1-4. [text]

SHORT ESSAYS OR OPINION PIECES

• "In Defense of Pharisees—and a critique of Pete Hegseth," America: The Jesuit Review (Online, May 5, 2026). [text]
• “Seis Décadas de un “Viaje de Amistad,” Coloquio 70 (September 2025): 2-8. [Spanish text; English translation]
• "Dear Pope Francis: It was dangerous to cite John 8:44—a verse used to justify Jew hatred for centuries," America: The Jesuit Review (Online, Oct 17, 2024). [text]
• “Anti-Jewish readings of Scripture are not just a Holy Week problem,” National Catholic Reporter, April 5, 2023 [text]
• "A Response to Alon Goshen-Gottstein’s ‘The New Covenant - Jeremiah 31:30-33 (31:31-34) in Jewish Interpretation,’” Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 15/1 (2020): 1-2. [text]
• “Is the Pope ‘Anti-Jewish’? No, but Here’s Why his Critics Think So” Commonweal 144/8 (May 19, 2017): 19-21. [text]
• “Celebrating a 50 Year ‘Journey of Friendship’ between Catholics and Jews in Philadelphia” (with Adam Gregerman), Connections, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, January 2015.
• “Giving Thanks for a New Jewish-Catholic Relationship in Our Time” (Op-ed with Adam Gregerman), The Jewish 

• Co-organizer of international research project: "Christ Jesus the Jew: The Importance of His Jewish Identity for Christians and Jews" (2021 - present).
• Coordinator of international research project: "Promise, Land, and Hope: Jews and Christians Seeking Understanding to Enable Constructive Dialogue about Israeli-Palestinian Issues" (2011-2020).
• Project moderator for the International Council of Christians and Jews project: “Reassessing the Christian-Jewish Dialogue” (2007-2009).
• North American Coordinator of the Christ and the Jewish People project (2007-2011).
• Co-editor of peer-reviewed e-journal Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations (2005-2007).

• Excellence in Education Award 2023, The Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center, Elkins Park, PA.
• Shevet Achim Award for Outstanding Contributions to Christian-Jewish Relations, Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations, October 31, 2021.
• Named Honorary President, International Council of Christians and Jews, June 27, 2021. (A lifetime appointment previously given to three others for exceptional service to the ICCJ and Christian-Jewish Relations.)
• Tengelmann Award for Excellence in Research and Teaching, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, May 18, 2019.
• “Eternal Light Award,” Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, FL, October 25, 2018.
• Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, Gratz College, Melrose Park, PA, May 21, 2017.
• “Peace and Dialogue Award” for Promoting Interfaith Understanding, The Dialogue Forum and the Peace Islands Institute, Philadelphia, PA, Apr 23, 2014.
• “Lester Gilson Memorial Community Service Award,” South Area Solomon Schechter Day School, Boston, MA, March 11, 2007.