Judaism

Materials on the Jewish People, Judaism, and Jewish-Christian Relations and Polemics.

Judaism and Christianity have been engaged in theological polemics for two thousand years. One might wonder: why would Christians engage in polemics with a religion of a relatively small and ethnically defined group? After all, Judaism has never been an open or universal faith but has remained the religion of a specific ethnic community. In defining Judaism, Wikipedia notes that in most world languages, the terms "Jew" and "Judaist" are expressed by the same word and are not distinguished in conversation. This understanding of Jewish identity is shared by Jews themselves. However, the histories of Judaism and Christianity are so deeply intertwined that it is impossible to study Christianity without understanding Judaism—and vice versa. Jewish-Christian polemics have influenced the development of Jewish philosophy to such an extent that modern Judaism, in many ways, owes its current form to Christianity.

The history, philosophy, and theology of Judaism should be studied thoroughly by Christian theologians—not merely to sharpen their polemical skills or for missionary purposes among Jews, but primarily to gain a deeper understanding of Christianity itself, its roots, and its fundamental theological premises.

Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are three religions founded on shared principles. The central text of Judaism, the Torah, is also part of the Christian Holy Scriptures, while the Muslim Qur'an is significantly influenced by the principles of the Torah. The emergence of Judaism was, in a sense, the emergence of both Christianity and Islam. The God of Judaism is revered in Christianity as well, though there are, of course, significant differences—Jewish traditions and beliefs often diverge sharply from Christian teachings. Judaism and Islam, while sharing common roots with Christianity, oppose Christ’s doctrine on several fundamental points.

This section features articles on topics such as the core ideas of Judaism, its commandments and history, Jewish traditions, Judaism and the Jewish people, the history of Jewish-Christian relations, the Jewish people in Christian theology, and more. The section also addresses interfaith dialogue, the significance of Jewish identity, and related themes. These articles aim to help Christians and Jews better understand one another, enrich each other's perspectives, and, most importantly, deepen their understanding of their own religious traditions.