Judaism Flashcards
General concept of God
Monotheistic. Just one God who is the master of all creation and not just a part. (This was unique for its day)
Unique characteristics
Moral (vs. amoral gods of the day)
Loving toward humanity ( vs. the indifferent gods)
Supremely powerful beyond understanding
Reasons for Jewish impact
Israel was never a world power nor was it ever a large country even at its peak.
God is more like a person than a thing (ex. Brahman)
There is no evidence to disprove this.
Their view of God was supremely exalted
Ancient Jews had a passion for meaning that surpassed their contemporaries.
Saw life in all of creation, but did not equate is as being God
Creation
Overwhelmingly positive view of creation
Very positive view of matter (vs. Spirit)
Positive view of working with and manipulating matter/creation (unusual)
This view would eventually lead to the development of modern science
What impact did their view of God and creation have on the way the dealt with difficulties?
Their positive view of God as loving and gracious as well as their concept of a good universe, equipped them for dealing with the difficulties that would come their way and help them to overcome despair
What was their general view of humans?
Fundamentally weak (physically and morally) yet magnificent A little lower than God (word Elohim, can mean angelic beings but most probably meant God in this case) Have free will (no compatibilistic free will)
History
Very important
Gives life context, limiting and creating choices
Collective action is needed to correct inequalities
Opportunities do not come around again
Showed that what ‘ought’ and what ‘is’ are not the same
Social constructs can be changed and need not be merely weathered
Profession in history
What was their view on suffering?
Jews found meaning in suffering
At times it was simply a punishment
At other times it was more difficult to discern but they had the guidance of the prophets and at times it was to learn a lesson
The exiles in particular had a major impact on the Jews and through them the world. The taught a passion for freedom and justice which today permeates the world
Rabbinic Judaism
Emerged after the destruction of the temple, 70 AD
Decentralization
Synagogues as ‘minor sanctuaries’
New system of daily public prayer
Authority shifted from priests (lineage) to rabbis (learning, charisma)
Scared writings
Tanakh - scripture Torah - five book of moses Nev'im - prophets Kethuvim - writings Talmud Mishnah - interpretation Gemara - narratives, illustration
God (specifics)
YhWh - Yahweh God is Sovereign, eternal Spirit, personal All-powerful, compassionate Imminent, transcendent
Human beings (specifics)
God desires relationship with his people
People need to live according to His commands
People need to live in harmony with each other
Human beings have a capacity to make ethical choices; they are responsible
Israel, the chosen people
A matter of service, not privilege
Judaism as more than religion
Salvation
God’s people must live according to His will
Halakha: the path that one walks
Every act of life has religious significance
Obedience out of love, respect for God (not promise of reward or
threat of punishment)
When people sin, atonement is necessary
Destruction of the Temple, 70 AD, ended animal sacrifice as means of
atonement
Teshuvah (repentance/return) only means left to effect atonement
Eternity
Resurrection of the dead Immortality of the soul Coming messiah Restorative Utopian Much disagreement on details
Contemporary forms
Orthodox Judaism - strict adherence to Torah, traditional Jewish customs
Reform Judaism - central role of ethical teaching, but traditional customs not binding; interpretation of Torah influenced by history and cultural changes
Conservative Judaism - a middle ground; maintain strong Jewish identity with accommodation
