Chapter 18: Christianity and Judaism
Jesus lived at a time when the branches of Judaism included Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes.
The Pharisees and Sadducees had most of the power within the Judaism in Jerusalem. The Sadducees were more conservative in terms of theology, believing that when a person is dead, they are dead. No life after death nonsense, from their point of view, for them. They believed it was best to cooperate with the Romans as there would be no reward in pursuing activities that could get a person killed. They tended to be wealthy.
The Pharisees were conservative in many ways, but believed in life after death, heaven, and hell. Jesus probably grew up within this branch of Judaism. Their belief in life after death, heaven, and hell came to prominence within Judaism as a way of responding to the brutality shown during the time of revolt by the Maccabees. It was their way of reconciling belief in a just God while experiencing people with power committing many cruel acts against people doing their best to honour their faith. If there did not seem to be any justice in this life, then justice had to be gained through life after death with terrible suffering for those who committed atrocities and rewards for those who did their best to live a good life. Their conservative beliefs included the belief that God rewarded good people and punished bad people or their children. They also tended to accept the need to cooperate with the Romans when necessary, and many had positions of influence in the community.
The Essenes seemed to focus on spirituality and deepening inner faith along with pursuing peace and justice for the community. They used a retreat close to the Dead Sea as a place to live, study, discuss, pray, and write. Some or many believe Jesus spent some time in this community because of his preaching.
Messianic Judaism expected a Messiah, one anointed by God to fix the world by restoring the freedom and influence of the Jewish people. Apocalyptic Judaism believed that the future had been revealed in code in their scriptures. While these are different beliefs, they were held together by many Jews.
At the time Jesus lived, many Jews believed God had revealed in their writings, especially some in what is called the Apocrypha, information about the promised Messiah. While they included Jews from most of the different divisions of Judaism, the Essenes seemed to thoroughly embrace this belief.
Christianity was born out of the apocalyptic belief in a Messiah. They worshipped in synagogues until they were kicked out. They were most closely connected to the Pharisees who also believed in life after death. They would have been seen as a cult within that community, like the Methodists were seen in the Anglican community of the time of the Wesleys.
The Followers of Jesus were also influenced by the beliefs and practices of the Essenes.
After about 1600 to 1700 years of persecuting Jews, many Christians are building relationships with Jewish communities.
This is partly out of recognition that Jesus was a Jew, partly out of recognition that the Jewish community can help Christians better understand the Jewish scriptures, and partly out of seeing them as brothers and sisters in the family of God.
Many individual Christians still hate or look down on Jews, but they also tend to reject most parts of the teachings of Jesus. They are followers of the Jesus created by imperialist Christians who bears almost no resemblance to the original Jesus, a Jesus who looks northern European and sanctions abuse of power rather than a Palestinian Jesus advocating disbursing power.
Jesus lived at a time when the branches of Judaism included Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes.
The Pharisees and Sadducees had most of the power within the Judaism in Jerusalem. The Sadducees were more conservative in terms of theology, believing that when a person is dead, they are dead. No life after death nonsense, from their point of view, for them. They believed it was best to cooperate with the Romans as there would be no reward in pursuing activities that could get a person killed. They tended to be wealthy.
The Pharisees were conservative in many ways, but believed in life after death, heaven, and hell. Jesus probably grew up within this branch of Judaism. Their belief in life after death, heaven, and hell came to prominence within Judaism as a way of responding to the brutality shown during the time of revolt by the Maccabees. It was their way of reconciling belief in a just God while experiencing people with power committing many cruel acts against people doing their best to honour their faith. If there did not seem to be any justice in this life, then justice had to be gained through life after death with terrible suffering for those who committed atrocities and rewards for those who did their best to live a good life. Their conservative beliefs included the belief that God rewarded good people and punished bad people or their children. They also tended to accept the need to cooperate with the Romans when necessary, and many had positions of influence in the community.
The Essenes seemed to focus on spirituality and deepening inner faith along with pursuing peace and justice for the community. They used a retreat close to the Dead Sea as a place to live, study, discuss, pray, and write. Some or many believe Jesus spent some time in this community because of his preaching.
Messianic Judaism expected a Messiah, one anointed by God to fix the world by restoring the freedom and influence of the Jewish people. Apocalyptic Judaism believed that the future had been revealed in code in their scriptures. While these are different beliefs, they were held together by many Jews.
At the time Jesus lived, many Jews believed God had revealed in their writings, especially some in what is called the Apocrypha, information about the promised Messiah. While they included Jews from most of the different divisions of Judaism, the Essenes seemed to thoroughly embrace this belief.
Christianity was born out of the apocalyptic belief in a Messiah. They worshipped in synagogues until they were kicked out. They were most closely connected to the Pharisees who also believed in life after death. They would have been seen as a cult within that community, like the Methodists were seen in the Anglican community of the time of the Wesleys.
The Followers of Jesus were also influenced by the beliefs and practices of the Essenes.
After about 1600 to 1700 years of persecuting Jews, many Christians are building relationships with Jewish communities.
This is partly out of recognition that Jesus was a Jew, partly out of recognition that the Jewish community can help Christians better understand the Jewish scriptures, and partly out of seeing them as brothers and sisters in the family of God.
Many individual Christians still hate or look down on Jews, but they also tend to reject most parts of the teachings of Jesus. They are followers of the Jesus created by imperialist Christians who bears almost no resemblance to the original Jesus, a Jesus who looks northern European and sanctions abuse of power rather than a Palestinian Jesus advocating disbursing power.
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