Part 1: Judaism Part 2: Christianity

Part 1: JudaismPart 2: Christianity Lesson 10

Part 1: JudaismTheme: Religion and Conflict Lesson 10

Abraham • Originally from the Sumerian city of Ur • Migrates to Palestine around 1850 B.C. on God’s command (Genesis 12:1) • God establishes a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:7-8) • “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” • It is from this passage that modern Jews claim Israel belongs to them

Moses • Moses leads the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt to Canaan, the land God has promised them (Exodus 12: 31) • Along the way, God gives Moses the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1-17) Statue of Moses by Michelangelo

Ten Commandments • I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. • II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. • III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. • IV. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. • V. Honor thy father and thy mother. • VI. Thou shalt not kill. • VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. • VIII. Thou shalt not steal. • IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. • X. Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbor's.

Yahweh • The God of the Abraham and Moses was Yahweh • The only god; all others were false imposters (monotheism) • A personal god who expected the Israelites to worship him alone and to observe high moral and ethical standards

Torah • Between 1000 and 400 B.C., Israelite religious leaders compiled Yahweh’s teachings into the Torah • What Christians call the Old Testament • Yahweh would punish or reward both the individuals and the community based on how well they observed his commandments • Many would see the exile imposed by the New Babylonian Empire in 586 B.C. as an example of Yahweh’s punishment

Rabbis • Rabbi means teacher or master • They are Jewish religious officials trained in Jewish law, ritual, and tradition • The synagogue is the Jewish place of assembly for prayer and study • It is not required for a synagogue to have a rabbi, but if it does, he is appointed by the lay leadership

Talmud • An authoritative record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish laws, Jewish ethics, customs, legends and stories • Fundamental source of legislation, customs, case histories and moral exhortations • For example, the Torah does not prohibit pronouncing the name of God, but the Talmud does (Talmud, Sanhedrin 90a)

Joshua • Joshua succeeds Moses as the one who will lead the Israelites into the Promised Land • A series of battles occur between the invading Israelites and the native Canaanites: • Jericho (Joshua 5:13–6:27) • Ai and Bethel (Joshua 8:1-29) • Against an alliance of southern cities (Joshua 10:1-43) • Against an alliance of northern cities (Joshua 11:1-15)

Conquest of Canaan • Formative event in Israel’s history • Now the Israelites could describe themselves as the inhabitants of the land God had promised to their forefathers. • Israel is now a land, not just a people

Judges • After the death of Joshua, the Israelites settle into a disorganized, chaotic existence • Failure to completely eradicate the Canaanites causes continuing problems • "In those days there was no king in the land, everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25) • God calls judges such as Samuel to provide leadership • Fails to provide the basis for a strong centralized leadership (system somewhat like America under the Articles of Confederation) • Does not bring stability or domestic tranquility • The end of the nomadic lifestyle calls for a more centralized government • People complain they want a king • A constitutional monarchy follows

Kingdom of David (1000-970 B.C.) • Extends the kingdom by war • Makes Jerusalem the political capital • Draws up plans for the Temple • “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land.” (Jeremiah 23: 5)

Kingdom of Solomon (970-930 B.C.) • Asserts “federal power” over “tribal power” • Divides the country into 12 taxable units • Through taxation and forced labor, he creates a large landless class, forcing people to move to the cities and accept an industrial economy • The individual becomes the economic unit, thus weakening family ties and parental authority • Builds the Temple David planned • Preserves the kingdom by peace (David had extended it by war) • During the reigns of King David and King Solomon the Israelites dominated the territory between Syria and the Sinai peninsula

Temple • Under King Solomon, the Jews built an elaborate temple in their new capital of Jerusalem • Housed the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments • Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D. • In 638 A.D., Muslim invaders capture Jerusalem and eventually build two mosques on the site of the old Jewish temple

Diaspora • After King Solomon, tribal tensions lead to a division of the larger kingdom into Israel in the north and Judah in the south • Eventually both Israel and Judah come under foreign domination • As a result of these various conquests, the Jewish people are displaced from their homeland • Babylonian, Archaemenid, Alexandrian, Seleucid, and Roman regimes all ruled over the Jewish Diaspora

Diaspora • All these regimes embraced many different ethnic and religious groups and mostly tolerated the cultural preferences of their subjects so long as the communities paid their taxes and refrained from rebellion • However they sometimes created state cults which honored their emperors as gods • This created a problem for the monotheistic Jews

Daniel: An Example of Jewish Conflicts with their Rulers 18th Century icon of Shadraeh, Meshaeh, and Abed-nego in the furnace (Daniel 3:8-12) and Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6:10-13)

Jewish Rebellions • Relations between the Jews and Romans were especially tense as the Romans expanded their empire into the eastern Mediterranean • Between the 3rd Century B.C. and the 1st Century A.D., the Jews mounted several rebellions, but were decisively defeated in the Jewish War of 66 to 70 A.D.

Conquered Jerusalem • 324… Byzantine rule • The Roman Empire, including Jerusalem, becomes Christian under Emperor Constantine • 614 - 638… Jerusalem falls to the Persians (614), Byzantines (629) and Arab Muslims (638) • 688 - 691… Dome of the Rock and El-Aksa built • 1099… First Crusaders capture Jerusalem (We’ll discuss the Crusades in Lesson 21)

Jerusalem: A Divided City

Jerusalem: A Divided City • The Dome of the Rock is the holiest Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. • It stands over the rock from which Muslims believe Muhammad rose to heaven. • For Jews, the shrine stands on the traditional location of the first Jewish temple, the Temple of Solomon. • Jews believe the site to be where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Major Jewish Holy Days • Passover • Celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt • Chanukah • Commemorates the successful revolt against the Seleucids and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem • Rosh Hashanah • First of the year • Begins the Days of Awe which are a time of introspection culminating in Yom Kippur • Yom Kippur • “Day of Atonement” for sins man commits against God

Major World ReligionsSource: About, Inc http://christianity.about.com/library/weekly/blreligiontop.htm ReligionMembers Christianity 2 Billion Islam 1.2 Billion Hinduism 785 Million Buddhism 360 Million Judaism 17 Million Sikhism 16 Million Baha‘i 5 Million Confucianism 5 Million Jainism 4 Million Shintoism 3 Million Wicca .7 Million Zoroastrianism .2 Million

Divisions of Judaism Today • Orthodox • Jewish law comes from God and cannot be changed • Torah is the fundamental text • Israel • Conservative • Accepts the binding nature of Jewish law but believes that the law can change • Use the Talmud along with the Torah • Reformed • Most liberal (i. e., open to change) • The process of reinterpretation of the Torah to the language of today is ongoing, and that every Jew has a stake and a role in that restatement and extension.

Ideas Unifying Judaism • One people (Abraham is their forefather) • The Chosen People (holy people) • Covenant relationship (Promised Land) • Temple/synagogue • Torah and Talmud

Jewish Concept of the Messiah • Hebrew word is moshiach (annointed) • The moshiach will be chosen by God to put an end to all evil in the world, rebuild the Temple, bring the exiles back to Israel, and usher in the world to come. • “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the moshiach, and though he may tarry, still I await him every day.” (Principle 12 of Rambam’s 13 Principle’s of Faith) • Rambam is Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, one of the greatest medieval Jewish scholars

Afterlife • Olam Ha-Ba is Hebrew for “the World to Come” and also the term used to refer to the spiritual afterlife. • When the moshiach comes to initiate the perfect world of peace and prosperity, the righteous dead will be brought back to life and given the opportunity to experience the perfected world that their righteousness helped to create. The wicked dead will not be resurrected. • Jews prepare for the Olam Ha-Ba through study of the Torah and good deeds

Part 2: ChristianityTheme: How religions grow and spread Lesson 10

Jesus • Born sometime before 4 B.C. in Bethlehem • Virgin birth as the Son of God (Luke 1:34-35) • Called Twelve Apostles to assist him • Met resistance from Jewish authorities, especially the Pharisees who had a different idea about what the Jewish law meant • Developed further problems with the Pharisees because Jesus associated with sinners

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” Mark 14: 61-63 Christians recognize Jesus as the Messiah promised in the Old Testament and Jesus claims to be the Messiah “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Jesus was a Jew and his original ministry was to the Jews But the Jews did not (and do not) consider Jesus to be the Messiah Who is Jesus?

Jesus and the Romans • Jesus lived in a time of high tension between Roman authorities and their Jewish subjects • He alarmed the Romans when he preached “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15) and was followed by large crowds • Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.” (Luke 23:1)

Trial, Crucifixion, and Resurrection • Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, a Roman governor, who acquiesced to the Jews’ demand that Jesus be crucified • Jesus’ followers proclaim he has risen from the dead and that his death and resurrection have served as a sacrifice to offset their sins • Now they too can survive death and live eternally in heaven

New Testament • Christians compiled a body of writings including accounts of Jesus’ life, reports of his followers’ works, and letters outlining Christian teachings • Becomes known as the New Testament and Christians refer to the Jews’ Hebrew scriptures as the Old Testament

Persecution and Saul • Many orthodox Jews thought the new Christianity was blasphemy and they started persecuting Christians • One of the chief persecutors was Saul • Zealous Pharisee • Held the people’s coats while Stephen is being stoned (Acts 4:58) • Was on his way to Damascus to see whether there is any Christian influence in the synagogue there when God encountered him • “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4)

Paul • God makes Saul “a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15) • Comes to be known as Paul • Greatest theologian of the early Church • Apostle to the greatest sphere of Christian missionary expansion– to the Gentile world to the west

Paul’s Mission Trips

Epistles

Paul’s Method • The cities in which Paul established churches were politically, culturally, and economically important • They were also located on the main thoroughfares of the Roman Empire, ensuring mobility of the message • Christianity would radiate from these major cities to others and eventually to the countryside

Paul’s Theological Contributions • Mission to the Gentiles • “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16) • Salvation by Faith • "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.“ (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Paul’s Theological Contributions • Church Organization • Founded, shaped, and nurtured a community instead of simply organizing a church; provided pastoral care • Provided instructions for church authorities (1 Timothy 3:1-15; 2 Timothy 2:22-26; Titus 1:5-9), • Predestination • “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)

Factors Aiding the Spread of Christianity • Paul wrote in Greek • The conquests of Alexander had introduced Greek as the common language from Italy to India (We’ll study Alexander in Lesson 18) • Roman system of good roads and the lack of piracy or serious crime (Pax Romana) • Allowed Paul to travel and preach throughout Asia Minor, Thrace, Greece, and Italy

Factors Aiding the Spread of Christianity • Presence of the synagogue • Gave Paul a forum to preach, dispute with the Jews, and attract converts • Roman toleration of religion • Paul and the other missionaries were able to freely debate the cause of Christianity, provided they said nothing subversive to Rome’s political authority

Factors Aiding the Spread of Christianity • Degenerate nature of Roman society • Rome’s idle, lascivious aristocracy amused itself with such pursuits as mortal combat for entertainment and created a spiritual void that needed to be filled • Broad Appeal • Open to lower classes, urban populations, and women • Accorded honor and dignity to individuals who did not enjoy high standing in Roman society

Result • Less than 300 years after the crucifixion, Christianity would become the most dynamic and influential religion in the Mediterranean basin • In 380 A.D., Theodosius proclaims Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire

Institutional Church • In the absence of organized leadership, the earliest Christians had generated a wide range of sometimes conflicting doctrines • To standardize the faith, Christian leaders instituted a hierarchy of church officials • The bishop in Rome and patriarchs in Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Constantinople • As Roman imperial authority crumbled, the bishop of Rome (known as the pope) emerged as the spiritual leader of Christians communities in the western part of the empire

Evolving Doctrine • In 325 A.D., Constantine calls the Council of Nicea which brought together Christian leaders to consider the views of the Arians • Arians taught that Jesus was a mortal man rather than God Himself • Arianism was condemned as heresy • (We talked about this in Lesson 6)

Nicean Creed he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in the one holy catholic (Christian) and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. We believe in one God the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

Added Philosophical Sophistication • The earliest Christians had come from the ranks of ordinary people • Their doctrine seemed unsophisticated to intellectual elites • Until the 3rd Century Christianity grew as a popular religion of salvation favored by the masses • During the 4th Century, intellectual elites began to give it a reasoned doctrine of intellectual substance

St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) • Well educated and conversant with all the leading intellectual currents of his day • Converted to Christianity in 387 • Worked to reconcile Christianity with Greek and Roman philosophical traditions, especially Platonism • Tried to articulate Christianity in terms that were familiar to educated classes • Wrote Confessions and The City of God

Part 1: Judaism Part 2: Christianity