Judeo-Christian Totally Explained

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Judeo-Christian (or Judaeo-Christian, sometimes written as Judæo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held in common by Judaism and adapted by Christianity, and considered by some (often along with classical Greco-Roman civilization) a fundamental basis for Western legal codes and moral values. In particular, the term refers to the common Old Testament/Tanakh (which is a basis of both moral traditions, including particularly the Ten Commandments); and implies a common set of values present in the modern Western World. The term has been criticized by some for suggesting more commonality than may actually exist. (Compare with Ebionites and Judaizers.)

Historical background

ť For a systematic contrast of the two see Christianity and Judaism.

Christianity emerged in the century after the death of Herod the Great, the century that saw the building and destruction of the Herodian Temple as well as the development of Rabbinical Judaism. Christians use New Testament scriptures, along with doctrines such as monotheism, the belief in the Messiah (in Christianity, known as [the] Christ, in Greek Χριστός, Christós, a translation of the Hebrew Mashiach, "Anointed One" or "Messiah"), concepts of sacred space and sacred time, and the use of the Psalms in community prayer. Christianity in many cases discarded practices Judaism regarded as fundamental, believing their external, physical forms to be typology intended for a spiritual fulfillment. Among these were the Jewish covenant on male circumcision, keeping of the physical Sabbath, the keeping of kashrut, and much of the Law and traditions of the Oral Torah (but see also Christian view of the Law). Some Christian groups, however, have varying interpretations of New Testament scriptures and believe in continuing some of the above institutions, even in their physical, literal form. One of the most significant early Christian preachers, Paul of Tarsus, himself a Jew, Pharisee and Roman citizen who subsequently converted to the Christian faith, made a point of preaching to the gentiles in order to spread Christianity.

Etymological background

The first-known uses of the terms "Judeo-Christian" and "Judeo-Christianity", according to the Oxford English Dictionary, are 1899 and 1910 respectively, but both were discussing the emergence of Christianity. The term is sometimes used in politics as a shorthand for religious influences upon Western culture

Basis of a common concept of the two religions

Supporters of the Judeo-Christian concept point to the Christian claim that Christianity is the heir to Biblical Judaism, and that the whole logic of Christianity as a religion is that it exists (only) as a religion built upon Judaism. In addition, although the order of the books in the Christian Old Testament and the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) differ, the books are the same. The majority of the Old Testament is, in fact, Jewish scripture, and it's used as moral and spiritual teaching material throughout the Christian world. The prophets, patriarchs, and heroes of the Jewish scripture are also known in Christianity, which uses the Jewish text as the basis for its understanding of historic Judeo-Christian figures such as Abraham, Elijah, and Moses. As a result, a vast chunk of Jewish and Christian teachings are based on a common sacred text.

Use of term in United States law

In the legal case of Marsh v. Chambers, 463 U.S. 783 (1983), the Supreme Court of the United States held that a state legislature could constitutionally have a paid chaplain to conduct legislative prayers "in the Judeo-Christian tradition." In Simpson v. Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors

, No. 04-1045 (4th Cir. 2005), the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Supreme Court's holding in the Marsh case permitting legislative bodies to conduct prayer in the "Chesterfield County could constitutionally exclude Cynthia Simpson, a Wiccan priestess, from leading its legislative prayers, because her faith wasn't "in the Judeo-Christian tradition." Chesterfield County's Board included Jewish, Christian, and Muslim clergy in its invited list.

Criticism of the term

The term Judeo-Christian has been criticized for implying more commonality than actually exists. In The Myth of the Judeo-Christian Tradition, Jewish theologian-novelist Arthur A. Cohen questions the theological appropriateness of the term and suggests that it was essentially an invention of American politics.. It has been suggested that the term obscures fundamental differences between the two religions - Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits writes that "Judaism is Judaism because it rejects Christianity, and Christianity is Christianity because it rejects Judaism" - while erasing continuities between them and other religions, especially other monotheistic faiths. The Slovenian postmodern philosopher Slavoj Žižek has argued in this last point that the term Judeo-Muslim to describe the middle-east culture against the western Christian culture would be more appropriate in these days, especially noting the reduced influence from the Jewish culture on the western world due to the historical persecution and exclusion of the Jewish minority. A Judaeo-Christian-Muslim concept thus refers to the three main monotheistic religions, commonly known as the Abrahamic Religions.

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