Some Differences between Christianity and Judaism
IssueJewish PositionChristian PositionG-D
G-d is one and indivisible:
Deut. 4:39 - “Know therefore this day, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is G-d in heaven, that the Lord is G-d in heaven above, an in the earth beneath; there is no other.”
Isaiah 45:5 - “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no other G-d”.
Shema (Deut. 6:4-9) - “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is G-d, the Lord is One”
→ rejects the idea of dualism (e.g. Manichaeism) and the Christian Trinity
Most Christian churches believe in one G-d, but manifested in three parts (the Trinity): the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is elevated to the status of deity, as G-d as well as man.
Some fringe groups (e.g. Mormons) see the three parts of the Trinity as three separate deities.
FAITH/DOCTRINE
VS. LAW/ACTION
Usually Judaism is described as a religion where ‘Law’ or ‘action’ are more important than what one believes.
There is some truth in this:
- Traditional Judaism requires obedience to the Law from its converts, or the conversion is invalid
- Most areas of halakha deal with observance, rather than regulating belief (which is mostly in the realm of aggadah). Though attempts have been made to draw up lists of commandments or Principles of Faith (e.g. Rambam’s 13 Principles of Faith), they have always been contested and they are not universally accepted as authoritative in the same way that halakhic codes like the Shulchan Aruch have been.
- It is usually claimed that a kerem is only pronounced for heretical practices rather than beliefs
Usually Christianity is describes as a religion where ‘faith’ or ‘belief’ are more important than action or Law.
- One may become a Christian by believing in Jesus Christ and being baptised; they are not bound to observe the Mosaic Law
- Theoretically at least, belief defines most Christians - acceptance of Christ is essential. Most Churches (with the possible exception of Quakers, Unitarians and other liberal groups) have developed a body of doctrine laying out correct beliefs to which the believer must subscribe (e.g. Catholic Catechism)
- Heretical belief as well as action can lead to excommunication or its equivalent (exile from the community) in many churches (e.g. Catholic, Mormon, J Witnesses, Mennonite, Amish, Evangelical)
This is really a gross oversimplification - belief is much more important in Judaism than is usually claimed, and action is far more important in most Christian denominations than usually admitted. Within Judaism there are core beliefs (e.g. around the existence and unity of G-d), and excommunications have occurred for heretical beliefs (e.g. in medieval cases of suspected Karaism). Potential converts are rejected by Batei Din for heterodox belief (see recent case of a Lubavitch candidate turned down for Messianic beliefs). There are clear statements of required belief in Jewish law (e.g. Mishnah, Sanhedrin 10:1 - “But the following have no share in the world to come: He who says that there is no resurrection of the dead, and [he who says] that the Torah is not from Heaven, and an apikorot [translation uncertain: perhaps atheist, heretic, or unethical person]”). Action and belief as also closely related - if you believe certain things, like the existence of G-d and the divine origins of the Torah, it is incumbent upon you to act upon these beliefs. Similarly, why keep the Law if you don’t believe in its divine origins? It is also ridiculous to maintain the argument that faith is unimportant in Judaism when Jews are divided into warring denominations. The divisions between denominations are largely based on fundamental differences of belief - e.g. Liberal rejection of the authority of halakha, the Progressive notion of progressive revelation, Louis Jacob’s denial of Mosaic authorship of the Torah. While there may not be formal catechisms, to maintain that belief is unimportant is simply ludicrous. How do disagreements about observance arise?
This position also fails to understand the importance of action and other sociological factors in Christian thought and life. Accepting doctrine means that certain actions are then incumbent upon you (e.g. Catholic fasting, eschewal of birth control, penitential practices; Mormon fasting and observance of a health code governing food consumption, attendance at Church activities, tithing, etc; various conservative Christian groups’ observance of modesty laws e.g. Mennonites, Catholics, some groups of Presbyterians, some groups of Baptists, Amish Evangelicals, etc. There are Christian communities where observance is just as important as it is in the strictest Charedi communities (see for example L. Boynton-Arthur’s work on Holdeman Mennonite women in Dent, USA). Also, if you think I’m attacking a straw man here, just try having this conversation at JSoc on a Friday night.
HUMAN NATURE, SIN AND FREE WILL
The idea that children are born sinful due to inherited sin is alien to most strands of Jewish thought; as is predestination. Children are born with both a bad and a good inclination (yetzer tov and yetzer ha-ra), and humans have free will to chose which of these to let dominate. The Talmud also views both these impulses as potentially beneficial, capable of being harnessed to the service of G-d: “if it were not for the evil inclination, a man would not build a house, marry, beget children, or engage in business” (Genesis Rabbah 9:7).
Depends on the denomination, but the Catholic Church famously espouses the doctrine of Original Sin - that the fall of Eve caused all future generations to inherit her sin, and thus be born in a state of sin that must be lifted by baptism. Man is thus inherently sinful and can only be saved through G-d’s grace and Christ. The Church does not reject the idea of free will, however, and humans can choose to live sinfully or well. Beliefs on this subject differ widely across even the mainstream churches, but one doctrine worthy of mention here, because it appears to deny the prospect of free will, is Predestination (particularly Calvinist Unequivocal Election) which affirms that before the creation of the world, G-d chose to save some, the elect, and damn others, the reprobate. There are however modified forms of predestinarian doctrine that do not reject the possibility for people to play an active role in their own salvation (e.g. Barthianism, Arminianism, Eastern Orthodoxy. Lutherans have a complex relationship with predestination, believing that Christians are predestined to be saved, but that predestination is not the source of that salvation. Instead, salvation is only guaranteed due to the suffering of Christ for mankind).
AFTERLIFE
Jewish ideas about the afterlife are fairly vague, and range from folk beliefs in reincarnation (see Ashkenazi dybbuk tales and similar), to belief that there is no afterlife (the position of the Sadducees), to belief in an eternal soul (G-d “implanted eternal life within us”) that resides in an Olam ha-Ba similar to the Christian heaven; to belief in the physical resurrection of the dead in the Messianic Age (see Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of Faith). References are made to ‘Sheol’ and ‘Gehinnon’ in the Psalms (roughly translated as hell), but traditionally Judaism is rather hazy about exactly what happens, though Pirkei Avot affirms that “all Israel have a share in the world to come”. One does not have to be Jewish to enter Olam ha-Ba - the righteous of all nations have a share.
All Christian groups that I am aware of, though not necessarily all individual Christians within those groups, believe in an afterlife, in which sinners go to Hell and the righteous (i.e. Christians, usually of the sect in question) go to Heaven. Beliefs are often quite specific, and only Christians can expect to be saved in most groups.
MESSIANISM
Torah Jews believe the Moshiach, a descendant of David, is yet to come (“I believe with full faith in the coming of the Messiah. And though he tarries, with all that, I wait daily for his coming”; Rambam’s Thirteen Principles), and when he arrives he will perfect the world, unite all of Israel under Jewish authority, build the Third Temple, and inaugurate the Messianic Age where the dead will be resurrected. Theories as to the exact nature of this Age vary.
Progressive Jews reject the idea of Moshiach, or view it metaphorically as a call to take individual action to perfect the world (Tikkun Olam). They do not wish for the rebuilding of the Temple and resumption of animal sacrifices, and some Reform synagogues call themselves Temples to express this.
Lubavitch Jews believe that the Moshiach is their former leader, Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who died aged 92 in 1994. He’s coming back, obviously.
Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, and that he died for their sins, redeeming them spiritually rather than physically.
HUMAN INTERCESSORS
No intercessor between G-d and Man is required (Akiva: “Happy are you, O Israel! Before whom are you made clean, and who makes you clean? Your Father upon you, as it says [Ezk 36:25], I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean’ [Yoma 8:9])
This is not however a particularly honest answer, given the status of the Sages within Orthodox Judaism as transmitters of authoritative divine commands in the Oral Torah, and the prevalence of folk practices like praying at the tombs of ancestors or Tzadiks.
Many churches believe in the need for an intercessory figure between G-d and Man, who has special powers delegated by G-d (e.g. power of transubstantiation, forgiveness/absolution) for instance in the Catholic, Mormon, Orthodox Churches. Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox churches all venerate saints, viewing them as having special powers of intercession with Christ or G-d.
Jesus is in any case an intercessory figure.
Cos, y'know, I might have just wandered in the synagogue by mistake. And stayed for a year. And been hit by a bus and suffered catastrophic brain damage.
Also, as if Christianity and Judaism are even unified, definable entities. I want to cry right now.