"And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord... these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer... for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."
— Isaiah 56:6-7
"I have other sheep that are not from this fold; those also I must lead, and they will listen to My voice. So there shall be one flock, one Shepherd."
— John 10:16
To restore and strengthen relationships between followers of Jesus and the Jewish people.
To equip students, faculty, and the broader Christian community to think biblically and practically about issues relevant to Jewish-Christian relations.
To support theologically grounded dialogue rooted in shared scripture that respects both the distinctiveness and common ground between Christians and Jews.
Evangelicals have a complicated history with the Jewish people, marked by antisemitism and disconnection from shared biblical roots.
While the Catholic Church, through Nostra Aetate (Vatican II), has made significant strides in renewing Jewish-Christian relations, the evangelical community has yet to respond in a unified, biblically grounded way.
Wheaton College is stepping into this gap—to model relational restoration, equip communities of faith, and lead a movement of evangelical renewal in Jewish-Christian engagement.
This initiative is neither reactionary nor political but is grounded in biblical engagement, calling evangelicals to rediscover their Jewish roots.
It also emphasizes relational engagement, urging evangelicals to deepen their theology and practice of union with Jesus, while cultivating relationships with the Jewish community that bear the fruits of the Spirit.
We convene public events featuring Jewish, Christian, and Messianic Jewish thought leaders. These gatherings model respectful dialogue and invite the broader Christian community to engage biblically and theologically with issues concerning the Jewish people, Israel, and the Church. Watch a video of the conversation that launched the JCRI.
We create intentional spaces for inward-facing dialogue that invite Wheaton students, faculty, and staff to deepen engagement with God’s call to preserve unity between Jews and Gentiles in Jesus (Ephesians 4:3). Read Wheaton student Michaiah Wilson's editorial Brothers Can Dwell Together in Unity in the College newspaper.
At the heart of this initiative is a commitment to sustained, relational engagement — grounded in the conviction that the informational becomes transformational only when it is relational. We are developing intensive, invitation-based cohorts that foster deep, ongoing engagement.
Anchored in the full witness of Scripture, affirming God's enduring covenant with Israel and His call for unity in Jesus.
Modeling respectful engagement that recognizes both distinction and connection between Christians and Jews.
Embracing the mystery of the one new humanity (Ephesians 2), without erasing the unique identities of Jews and Gentiles.
Equipping evangelicals to grow in discipleship and bear witness through a posture of humility, hospitality, and hope.
Christian engagement with the Jewish world is not one thing but operates in at leastsix distinct modes. Each is driven by one of three guiding questions, surfacing different assumptions and rooted in different identity commitments.
"Acknowledging the often charged and polarized nature of this discourse, the initiative aims to foster open, informed dialogue that advances both biblical and historical literacy among the people of God. Rather than focusing narrowly on the past 150 years, it invites a long-view perspective on the Church’s relationship with Israel and the Jewish people across millennia."
Thomas L. Boehm, Ph.D., M.Div.
Director of Jewish-Christian Relations Initiative
Ann Haskins Associate Professor of Special Education
Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry (by courtesy)
Help us build sustained programs. Your support enables us to continue this vital work of reconciliation and education.