ECCLESIA AND SYNAGOGA

Ecclesia and Synagoga, the female manifestations of Christianity and Judaism, were an emblem of many Medieval cathedrals. Ecclesia, typically shown with a full cup and a proud banner, stands triumphantly, while Synagoga stands stooped with an empty cup, her eyes covered, and a broken banner.

A little harsh, but subtlety does not create cultural memes.

Fast forward a few centuries, and this is still a useful memetic creation. While Synagoga has produced an astonishingly successful people, both commercially and intellectually, with an offshoot now reborn in its ancient homeland, Ecclesia is still very much her old triumphant self. Christianity has shaped the West, the West has shaped Christianity, and the result is the most magnificent, brilliant, and glorious civilization the world has ever known.

Synagoga should be proud. The teenage years had perhaps been rough, but the daughter of Judaism, Christianity, has become the Elon Musk of civilizations.

I am bringing this up because Jews, even mentally sound ones, sometimes show a tendency to poo-poo the obvious achievements of Christian civilization. “Oh, we taught them everything,” “Where would the gentiles be without us?” “What’s so great about the West, anyhow?” and even “Why should I appreciate my own persecutors?”

This is all very unhealthy, like all fantasies that become lodged permanently in our brains. The way to contend with the jock who’s also a Rhodes Scholar is not by pretending he is actually clumsy and stupid. That’s called being delusional. The way is to show respect and appreciation, and feel independently secure in one’s self.

Further, the incredible success of Jewish individuals and even of Zionism itself clearly PRESUPPOSES the West. Meaning, that success presupposes lawful societies, secure liberties, an infrastructure of advanced research, sophisticated banking, and effective military technology.

And so, even if our eyes are not covered and our cup is not empty, we must recognize the triumphs of Ecclesia.