c. 1998 Religion News Service

(Rabbi Rudin is the national interreligious affairs director of the American Jewish Committee.)

UNDATED _ The”law of unanticipated results”is at work within the world of religion.

Although this”principle”may not be as precise as similar laws in physical science, it’s still operative. The latest example of the law at work could be found at the recently concluded Lambeth Conference in Great Britain.

Every 10 years the world’s Anglican bishops gather to discuss and assess church doctrine and practice. In the past, Lambeth meetings have been dominated by bishops from England _ the mother country of Anglicanism _ the United States, and Canada.

Usually, the theological statements and public policy positions coming out of Lambeth are tame, peppered with predictable moderation and liberalism. Although many Anglican bishops lead the struggle for social justice, human rights, and other vital issues, a conventional stereotype of a Lambeth cleric is one who demurely sips sherry while sporting a tweed jacket with leather-patched elbows.

But the 1998 Lambeth Conference clearly revealed that the public face and stance of the Anglican Church has dramatically shifted to South America, Asia, and Africa. Historically, the cross followed the flag as Anglican missionaries established”colonial”churches in all parts of the vast British Empire.

Originally led by English bishops, the colonial churches now have assumed a distinctive culture and spiritual leadership.

Instead of adopting the generally liberal theological stance of the Church of England, the new indigenous (the word”colonial”has long been abandoned) Anglican churches are more conservative, especially those churches that must live alongside a resurgent Islam. That is why many bishops from the Third World preach a strict, literal interpretation of the Bible, including a negative view of both homosexuality and leadership roles for women in the church.

Instead of copying the established Church of England, Third World Anglicans have become theologically more traditional than their British mentors. It’s a clear example of how the”law of unanticipated results”works.

This same law is also at work within the world’s Jewish community. When modern Israel achieved its independence in 1948, the general expectation was that the Jewish State would be dominated by socialist values and leaders.

Traditional Judaism would, of course, have its rightful place in the”New Zion,”but many assumed it would have a limited role in the political, cultural, and economic life of the nation.

This assumption appeared accurate, especially during the first years of Israel’s life when former prime ministers David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir seemed to represent the spartan socialist tradition. While fully respecting Judaism, the founders of Israel did not envision a strong, self-confident Orthodox Jewish community that would vigorously challenge many of their basic assumptions.

Following Israel’s independence, large groups of immigrants came to the Jewish state from Morocco, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Egypt. Many of these countries were former colonies of Britain and France. Jews from colonial North Africa and the Middle East brought to Israel their religiously conservative practices and beliefs. Now, two generations later, the children and grandchildren of those first immigrants still maintain their traditional Judaism despite the pressures of conforming to the still dominant non-religious socialist ethos.

The Jews from Arab countries also have organized themselves into effective political parties that are key components of Israeli coalition governments. The last three prime ministers _ Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Benjamin Netanyahu _ have not been identified with Orthodox Judaism, but all three were compelled to respond to the growing political power of traditional Jews in Israel. One more case of the”law of unanticipated results”at work.

Every survey of the U.S. Jewish community confirms that Orthodox Jews identify more closely with Israel than any other group. And the largest number of immigrants to Israel from the United States has been Orthodox Jews, a group that held fast to traditional Judaism despite the presence of the larger Conservative and Reform branches of Judaism.

And Orthodox Jews in this country are showing their increasing power by assuming more leadership roles in the general Jewish community. In addition, an Orthodox Jew, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, serves in the U.S. Senate and numerous other traditional Jews have been elected to public office.

And yet, not too long ago, many observers were convinced that Orthodox Judaism could not survive in America. Few people anticipated the Orthodox revival that is currently under way. But, then, the”law of unanticipated results”is by definition capricious and unpredictable.

Or as my grandmother used to say when confronted with something she hadn’t expected: Who knew?

MJP END RUDIN