Religion Analysis Essay 6

Question: Many Christians believe that Judaism finds its fulfillment in Christianity. Obviously, Jews do not agree and believe that Judaism stands independently and quite apart from Christianity on its own. From what you have learned about Judaism, do Jews have good reasons for holding on to their faith and not considering it merely as a preparation for Christianity. Furthermore, what reasons might Christians have, given the study of Christianity and religion in general in the last two hundred years, for questioning and revising the standard view of Judaism as an "old" and obsolete covenant that should have evolved or been absorbed into Christianity after the appearance of Jesus of Nazareth. In other words, does Judaism stand on its own or does it need Christianity to "complete" or "fulfill it”?

Religion Analysis Essay 6

As a new covert to Christianity (since Feb. 2, 2005), I’ve often been taught that Christianity was the fulfillment of Judaism. These lessons usually credit Judaism’s main goal as preparing the way for the Messiah. As chapter 40 of Isaiah puts it, “prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Is. 40:3), and I perceived Judaism as preparing ‘a highway’ for Jesus’ arrival. I had perceived the Jewish religion to be rather ‘obsolete’, since it’s role in preparing the path for the Messiah was complete through Jesus, but that changed this semester. Some new Christian friends began to teach be that the Jewish people had a special relationship and role with God. This special relationship that God had with the Israelites, as revealed in the Old Testament scripture, was something special and unique.

The word ‘old’ in Old Testament itself is deceiving, and evident that even in its Christian title are the Jewish texts perceived as outdated. As I’ve learned in my Religion Analysis course and through friends, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Leviticus 11:45 hints to the unique relationship the Israelites and Jews have to God, for as it says, “therefore be holy because I am holy,” (Lev. 11:45) . However, this unique relationship stretches beyond Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob’s original covenant. After the coming of Jesus and Christianity, Judaism has done an incredible job of organizing itself. Under the pressure of mass exodus, Christian persecution, and Arab governance, Judaism has neatly redefined its temple-centered nature. Without the ability to make the temple its religious center, pharisaic Judaism evolved into the rabbinic form, allowing it a flexibility that greatly helped its survival. Rabban Johanan, and his group of scholars (Tannaim), paved the way for individuals like Rabban Gamaliel II to re-establish the important Jewish court known as the Sanhedrin (Cohn-Sherbok, Pg 41) . In addition to the re-established Sanhedrin, and the transfer of temple duties to the synagogue, the oral tradition of Jewish law and teaching was written down, which formed the Mishnah (Cohn-Sherbok, Pg 43). This text divided the extensive oral tradition into six orders (Zeraim, Mo’ed, Nashim, Nezikin, Kodashim, and Tohorot), which helped preserve the Jewish faith. In addition to the re-established Sanhedrin, the synagogue, and the Mishah, the Jewish people collected several laws, religious texts, sciences, teachings, and four of the Mishnah’s into the authoritative text of the Talmud. With the creation of the Talmud came it’s use as the center for Judaic studies, which resulted with the yeshivot (academies), kollelim (higher academies), and batei ha-midrash (houses of study) (Cohn-Sherbok, Pg 49). All these factors show the resilience of Judaism, as well as its success as a religion to organize under several hostile environments (exp: post Christianity).

In addition to the adaptive organization of post temple Judaism was the extensive and successful tradition of Jewish philosophy. This can be seen in early Jewish philosophy, as well as medieval and post-enlightenment schools of Jewish thought. One prominent piece of Jewish philosophy was Saadiah Gaon’s Emunot ve-Deot. It “is generally regarded as the first great Jewish philosophical classic,” and addressed issues ranging from reason, knowledge, and the soul, as well as responses to Karaite, Zoroastrian, and Muslim critiques (Pg 64-65). Other prominent Jewish philosophical works included Judah Halevi’s Kuzari, Moses Maimonides’ Dalilat al-Hariain, and the works of Philo (Pg 64, 66-67). In addition to the success of early Jewish philosophy was the success of the Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment). During the Haskalah, Jewish philosophers like Moses Mendelssohn explained the Jewish religion as ‘to call wholesome and unadulterated idea’s of God and His attributes continuously to the attention of the rest of mankind,” (Pg 95). These and several other Haskalah philosophers and thinkers helped further define the Jewish religion and it’s followers role in the world, as well as modernizing the Religion with it’s day and age.

By looking at the Jewish religion’s ability to address philosophical and organizational issues apart from Christianity, we can begin to understand how it’s far from being an old and obsolete covenant. As later Jewish philosophers and scholars explain, the Jewish religion still has the role of reflecting “unadulterated and wholesome ideas of God to the attention of humanity,” (Moses Mendelssohn, Ph 95). As the later thinker Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) explains in The Nineteen Letters on Judaism, the “mission of the Jewish people…is to illustrate to the rest of humanity the joy to be found in obedience,” (Cohn-Sherbok Pg 100). Even in our modern day, Judaism has continued to express remarkable flexibility in its ability to adapt to the modern age in the form of Reformed, Conservative, and Orthodox Judaism.

Without the arrival of the Davidic Messiah as explained in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), and with Christianities failure to bring about the messianic physical kingdom as explain in scripture, modern day Judaism has a compelling case against the ‘suffering servant’ messiah found in Christianity. To add this case with Judaism’s ability to organize under intense conditions, as well as its successful philosophical movements, we can see Judaism as being apart from its Christian neighbor. Although Christians may refer to the Old Testament as ‘old’, “Judaism has always adapted itself to changing times and circumstances,” and will surely continue to do so (Pg 133).

-Leonard O Goenaga