WORLD RELIGIONS U4: Judaism + Christianity

“instruction or Law”; the will of God as it is revealed to humankind

Torah

What is the name of God in the Jewish tradition?

YHWH

What theological concept about God is foundational to Jewish theology?

monothesim

Mishnah

• the starting point for rabbinic study of the oral Torah

• a collection of sacred traditions that was written down in 200 AD

3 parts of the Hebrew Bible?

• Tanakh:

  • Torah

  • Prophets

  • Writings

Whom did God call to be the father of a great nation, the first patriarch of the Jewish people?

Abraham

Who received the Law at Mount Sinai and is regarded as the Torah’s author?

Moses

What happened in 70 AD that changed Judaism forever?

the Second Temple was destroyed

Dispora

descriibes the Jews who live outside their homeland, a circumstance that has been true for most Jews since the classical period around 135 AD

Hasidism

a form of Judaism that around in 18th century Eastern Europe that emphasizes mysticism, a personal relationship with God and the community, and the leadership of the zaddik

The Seder Meal

considered to be the high point of the passover festival

Jehovah’s Witness

the christian denomination that believes Jesus is the Archangel Michael and the Son of God, however, not the same as God

LDS (mormons)

Christian denomination that believes that the 10 Tribes of Israel came to the Americas, Jesus came to America after the Resurrection, and Joseph Smith received God’s revelation

Zionist/Zionism

a movement that was originally committed to the reestablishment of a Jewish homeland; since 1948, the movement generally promotes the support of Israel

what are the 3 major forms of Judaism?

reform, orthodox, conservative

The Paschal Mystery

jesus’ suffering, death, resurrection, and glorious ascension into heaven

the Incarnation

the event when JC came down from heaven, and by the power of the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary

The Trinity

3 persons in 1 God: father, son, HS

The New Testament

27 different books, from the Gospels to the letters and an apocalypse form this library of text for chrisitans

What 2 sacraments are accepted by most christian denominations?

baptism + eucharist

Christian Theology is centered on what?

the person + teachings of JC

Most Protestant denominations believe Christianity should be based on what 2 principles?

faith alone + scripture alone

Yom Kippur emphasizes what action?

Repentance

Council of Ephesus

affirmed the unity of Christ’s person and upheld Mary’s title Theotokos (“God-bearer” → Mother of God)

• this title expresses a claim about JC’ identity, not that Mary is the origin of God

What are the 4 last things in christian theology?

death, judgement, heaven, hell

Shema

from Deuteronomy 6:4, Judaism’s most basic theological statement: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord Alone”

Talmud

Hebrew “study/knowledge”

• the vast depository of the ORAL TORAH, based on the Mishnah with extensive rabbiani commentary on each chapter; 2 versions: Palestinian + Babylonian

Bar / Bat Mitzvah

“son/daughter of the commandment”

• the ritual celebration marking the coming of age of a Jewish child, at which time the person takes on the religious responsibilities of an adult

Reform Judaism

emphasizes the evolving nature of tradition, individual autonomy, and ethical responsibility over strict adherence to binding ritual laws

Conservative Judaism

occupies a middle ground between Orthodox and Reform Judaism, viewing Jewish law (halakha) as binding on modern Jews while maintaining an evolutionary approach that adapts those traditions to contemporary life

Orthodox Judaism

traditionalist branch of Judaism that views both the Written Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and the Oral Torah (codified in the Talmud) as the literal, divinely revealed word of God given to Moses on Mount Sinai

fundamentalism

a conservative movement or tendency characterized by strict conformity to sacred texts, dogmas, or core ideologies

protestantism

a major branch of Christianity that originated in 16th-century Europe during the Protestant Reformation, a movement to reform and break away from the medieval Roman Catholic Churc

• the Bibleis the ultimate spiritual authority and that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone, rather than through good works or church rituals

anabaptist

a 16th-century Christian movement of the Radical Reformation that rejected infant baptism in favor of voluntary adult ("believer's") baptism

• mennonites

• amish

core theological doctrines of the Christian Creed

• trinity

• monotheism

• god is the creator

• Jesus/Son + his life/teachings

• church + salvation

• saints

  • NICENE CREED + APOSTLES CREED

Major divisions with Christian Denominations

Catholicism, Protestantism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy

what is the theological importance of the Shema

the central declaration of faith in Judaism and a foundational text shared with Christianity