chapter 10: judaism and christianity

Chapter 10: Judaism and Christianity

IntroductionHebrews introduce monotheism into a world of polytheism in the form of a god above nature and free from compulsion and fateHebrews took name “Judaism” in honor of Judah, a prophet, and their homeland, JudaeaChristianity emerged from Judaism

Judaism

The Sacred ScripturesEarly scriptures known collectively as TaNaKh

• Torah = Five Books of Moses• Nevi’im = Books of the Prophets• Ketuvim = historical, poetic, and philosophic writings• Christians accept all of the TaNaKh as the “Old

Testament”• Jews and Christians long regarded these books as the

literal “word of God”

Judaism

The Sacred Scriptures [cont.]“Biblical Criticism” in last 200 years has placed these works into historical context

Close reading suggests stylistic differences tied to different authors

Josiah’s centralization of Hebrew belief resulted in the writing of Deuteronomy

Other stories were woven together at a later date to create the rest of the Torah

Judaism

The Sacred Scriptures [cont.]Oldest existing copy of complete Torah dates to 9th-11th centuries C.E.Greek language Torah dates to 2nd-3rd century B.C.E.Torah is one of best examples of “myth-history” because it captures ideals, concepts, and beliefs of Jewish people even if not literally true

Judaism

Essential Beliefs of Judaism in Early Scripture

A single, caring GodA God of historyA community rooted in divinely chosen familyA specific “promised” geographical homelandA legal systemA sacred calendar

Judaism

The Later Books of Jewish ScriptureNevi’im and Ketuvim carry Jewish story from 1200 B.C.E. to 500 C.E.

Books begin with Joshua, the return of the Jews from Egypt to Israel

History suggests that return was spread out over time and that era involved extensive borrowing from other cultures

Judaism

The Later Books of Jewish Scripture [cont.]

Rule by Judges and Kings• Jews adopted loose confederacy advised by

judges upon return to Canaan (Israel)• Created kings (1020 B.C.E.) to deal with

internal strife• Kingdom split in two in reaction to extravagant

reign of Solomon (950 B.C.E.)

Judaism

The Later Books of Jewish Scripture [cont.]

Teachings of the Prophets: Morality and Hope

• Prophets demanded return of morality and compassion in face of corrupt leadership

• Placed memory of past injustice and slavery against current events and demanded return to religious roots

• Presented image of an inspiring future

Judaism

The Evolution of the Image of GodGod’s early concerns about humanity resulted in a flood and in the division of people by language

Responded to evil with punishment

YHWH accessible via prayer and dialogue

Challenged self-willed polytheistic gods but provided no answer for the existence of evil in the world

Judaism

Patriarchy and Gender RelationsTorah granted women fewer rights than men

Regulation of sexuality extensive in scripture

Women had few heroic roles

Judaism

Defeat, Exile, and RedefinitionJews exiled of northern kingdom by Assyrians (721 B.C.E.); returned sixty years later

Outsiders including Alexander controlled Israel

Roman Empire destroyed temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. and dispersed people, 135 C.E.

This Diaspora reshaped Jewish beliefs

No significant numbers of Jews in Judaea until 20th century

Judaism

Minority/Majority Relations in the Diaspora

Jews remained distinct people in new settlementsFlourished in many instances but faced discrimination in othersStory of Esther shows Esther in preservation of Jewish community but also shows pressures on minorities in empires

Christianity

Christianity Emerges from JudaismDeveloped at height of Roman power

Jews were divided into four groups: Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes

Jesus’ teachings challenged Pharisees who accepted Roman rule

Called for rapid religious reform and predicted early day of judgement for the world

Promised a life in Heaven

Christianity

Christianity Emerges from Judaism [cont.]Jesus’ preaching angered Jewish and Roman leaders

Followers saw him as messiah and miracle worker

Roman crucifixion did not stop growth of followers

Message of compassion, salvation, and eternal life attracted many Romans

Christianity

Jesus’ Life, Teaching, and DisciplesAdapting Rituals to New Purposes

• Jesus’ prayer and preaching was writing Jewish tradition

• Baptism was modification of unimportant Jewish ritual

• “Last supper” an extension of Passover meal

Christianity

Jesus’ Life, Teachings, and Disciples [cont.]Overturning the Old Order

• Assertion that “the end of the world” was at hand was recognition that world would soon change

• Argued that wealth was a hindrance to salvation• Raised commandment to “love your neighbor” above a

broad range of Jewish commands• Predicted violent end of world

Christianity

Jesus’ Life, Teachings, and Disciples [cont.]

Jesus and the Jewish Establishment• Was condescending and confrontational toward

Jewish religious leaders• Scoffed at dietary and Sabbath restrictions• Restricted divorce• Teachings reflect desire to return to earlier beliefs

in faith and spirituality, and that the future lay in Heaven, not earth

Christianity

Jesus’ Life, Teachings, and Disciples [cont.]Miracles and Resurrection

• Miracles rather than teachings brought followers• Crucifixion and resurrection completed the miracles of

Jesus• Apostles, especially Paul of Tarsus (d. 67 C.E.),

transformed Christian sect into broad religion with preaching, organizational network, and instructional letters

Christianity

The Growth of the Early ChurchPeter, designated as leader of early organization, stressed Christian ethics over Jewish practices such as circumcision

Broadened appeal to Gentiles

Made little mention of the apocalyptic side of Christianity

Christianity

The Growth of the Early Church [cont.]Paul Organizes the Early Church

• Saul converted from a critic to an apostle of Christianity

• Was Jewish by ethnicity, Roman by citizenship, and Greek by culture

• Linked Christian communities of eastern Mediterranean with letters (Epistles)

• Formulated concept of original sin and redemption from it

Christianity

The Growth of the Early Church [cont.]The Christian Calendar

• Created sacred calendar with special days– Christmas = Jesus’ Birth– Easter = Jesus’ Resurrection– Pentecost = Jesus’ Ascension [had been date of

Jewish commemoration of the receipt of the Ten Commandments]

• Numbered years from the presumed date of Jesus’ birth

• Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday, from the seventh to the first day of the week

Christianity

The Growth of the Early Church [cont.]Gender Relations

• Women were central to earliest church but became less so over time despite “spiritual equality”

• Paul recommended celibacy for all but monogamous marriage for those who could not remain celibate

• Made wife subordinate to husband at home• Commanded women to keep silent in church• Accepted slavery

Christianity

From Persecution to Triumph Adopted imperial capital (Rome) as center of the new religion

Christianity started as one of a number of “mystery religions” in Rome

Refusal to worship emperor seen as threat

Persecution extensive within empire

Decided on content of New Testament by 200 C.E.

Christianity

From Persecution to Triumph [cont.]The Conversion of Constantine

• Constantine vision in 313 C.E. regarded as Christian sanction of his military career

• Immediately made Christianity legal• Sponsored council at Nicaea that produced Nicene

Creed• Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official

religion of the empire in 392 C.E.

Christianity

From Persecution to Triumph [cont.]How Had Christianity Succeeded?

• Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) scorned Christianity but revealed strengths and secrets of the spread in his critique

– Zeal– Promise of future life– Miracles– Austere morals– Created state within a state– Created personal community within universal religion

Christianity

Doctrine: Definition and DisputeAugustine (354-430 C.E.) emphasized the spiritual rather than the political possibilities

Connected Christian theology to Greek philosophy of Plato

Emphasized meditation

Believed sexuality to be perilous

Believers should subordinate their will to the teachings of the church

Christianity

Doctrine: Definition and Dispute [cont.]Battle over Dogma

• Divisive dispute over the divinity of Jesus• Arius (250-336 C.E.) thought humanity of Jesus

made God more sacred than Jesus• Arian dispute led to open warfare and military

defeat of the Arians• Growth of Christianity sometimes led

missionaries to try to convert Jews by coercion

Christianity in Wake of Empire

The Conversion of the BarbariansChristian bishops came from ranks of senatorial governing class--continuity with the empireExtensive conversions culminated in conversion of Clovis in 496 C.E., the first barbarian to accept the religionAction got Clovis support and connections from Roman leadership


Decentralized Power and Monastic LifeEarly church dominated by missionaries who were unmarried men and women

Pope Gregory I (590-604 C.E.) encouraged monastic movement; useful in conversion and discipline

Church power fragmented in West until 1000 C.E.

Monasteries developed missions, schools, and other institutions of church

Decisive papal leadership would come later


The Church Divides into East and WestChurch superceded empire in West but Byzantium never ceded power to the church

Eastern church urban and organized; Western church rural and disconnected into local units

Rome seen as an outlier of Orthodox church after Council of Chalcedon


Church Divides into East and West [cont.]Split between Rome and Constantinople

• Central issue was authority of Roman pope from the perspective of Rome and Constantinople

• Leo IX (elected pope in 1048 C.E.) promoted papal power in the West--and over Constantinople

• Result was Great Schism of 1054 C.E. onward• Most direct confrontation was in 1204 C.E., when

western Crusaders attacked Constantinople rather than pursue state purpose of attacking Muslims


Church Divides into East and West [cont.]New Areas Adopt Orthodox Christianity

• Orthodox monks became active later than monks in the West

• Caught between Roman West and Islamic East, these missionaries moved north to Russia, which began to call itself the “Third Rome” after the fall of Constantinople

• East and West competed for converts in areas adjacent to the two religions


Christianity in Western EuropeEurope halted Muslim growth at Tours, 732 C.E.

Muslim conquests cut Christianity off from the lands of its birth

Christianity became primarily a religion of Europeans, often recently-converted “barbarian” warrior nobles


Christianity in Western Europe [cont.]The Pope Allies with the Franks

• Pope felt surrounded by Muslims and Byzantines as well as by powerful Goths to the north

• Turned to powerful Franks such as Charles Martel, who defeated Muslim invasion of France at Tours in 732 C.E.

• Pope gave official approval of Martel’s son, Pepin III, and the Carolingians as royal ruling house of the Franks


Christianity in Western Europe [cont.]Charlemagne Revives Idea of Empire

• Although crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 C.E., Charlemagne’s goal was to expand his own empire

• Victories made his empire coterminous with Christianity except for Great Britain

• Promoted education as part of Carolingian “renaissance”

• Charlemagne’s empire paralleled that of the East


Christianity in Western Europe [cont.]The Attempt at Empire Fails

• Carolingians maintain power until end of 9th century

• Invaders (Magyars, Norsemen, Arabs) are too powerful to keep out; local administrators act on their own

• Church institutions and leaders give Europe its fundamental character and order (600-1100 C.E.)

Early Christianity: What Difference Does It Make?

First millennium of Christianity ended in “high” Middle AgesBy 1000 C.E., church was most important cultural and organizational force in Western EuropeChurch took on developmental and administrative roles in addition to its spiritual mission

chapter 10: judaism and christianity

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