Christian mission to Jews

Christian mission to Jews

Christian mission to Jews, or evangelism among Jews, or proselytism to Jews is a subset of Christian mission activity aimed specifically at practising believers in Judaism.

Contents

History

The primitive church

The first Christian witness - by Jew to Jew, and later Jew to Gentile - is documented in the Book of Acts and soon divides into the mission of Peter "to the Jews" and Paul "to the Gentiles."[1] An important Second Century source is the Dialogue with Trypho of Justin Martyr (c.140) which may be partially fictionalized, and "Trypho" may be a cypher for rabbi Tarfon but otherwise shows a level playing field and mutual respect as each participant appeals to the other.[2]

After Constantine

From Constantine I, when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire, the position of Christians to Jews changed. Some laws were instituted which protected the rights of Jewish converts from disinheritance, other laws also protected from abuse of the priviledges of conversion from those who converted from Judaism "only for a cancellation of debt;" which suggests that in some areas of the empire local incentives to conversion existed.[3] Accounts of conversion itself are not mentioned in rabbinical sources and are not frequent in Christian sources - excepting Epiphanius of Salamis' account of the conversion of Count Joseph of Tiberias, and Sozomen's accounts of Jewish conversions in Constantinople.[4]

Medieval

During the medieval period conversions in Christian ruled lands were often conducted by force, such as in the case of the Alhambra Decree of 1492 leading to the conversos, those converted by force, and Marranos. In Muslim lands dialogue between Jews and Christians was more equal, and Jewish apologists were able to refute Christians openly. In Christian lands those such as Hasdai Crescas (c.1340–1411) could only write refutations of Christian belief at great risk.

After the Reformation

The Reformation in Europe did not immediately give rise to increased proselytism to Jews, in part due to Luther's antisemitism and Calvin's indifference.[5]

18th and 19th centuries

In 1809 Joseph Frey (born Joseph Levi) founded the London Society for promoting Christianity amongst the Jews after disagreements with the generic London Missionary Society. This was later renamed the London Jews' Society and then the Church's Ministry Among Jewish People. Among their missionaries was the grammarian C. W. H. Pauli (born Zebi Nasi Hirsch Prinz). After Frey's group, which was largely led by converted Jews, the generic missionary organisations also attempted more culturally sensitive efforts and in 1841 the Church of Scotland appointed a Gentile missionary, John Duncan to the Jews of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to be based in Budapest.[6] At the same time "John Nicolayson" (the Dane Hans Nicolajsen), bishop Michael Solomon Alexander, and other missionaries were sent to Palestine.[7]

20th and 21st centuries

Jews for Jesus was founded in 1973 by Moishe Rosen. It was soon expelled from the American Board of Missions to the Jews, and Messianic Judaism was condemned by the Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews in 1975.

Jewish responses

Initial Jewish responses to Christian activity are seen in reports (through Christian eyes) of the response of the priestly authorities in the Book of Acts, through mentions of Jesus in the Talmud, then in rabbinical texts, as documented by Steven T. Katz in The Rabbinic Response to Christianity (2006).[8]

During the middle ages rabbinical scholars combatted missionary activity with works such as Ibn Shaprut's Touchstone. In modern times, for example in response to Rosen's group, Jews for Judaism and other groups were founded.

References

  1. ^ Antiquity in antiquity: Jewish and Christian pasts 2008 p199 ed. Gregg Gardner, Kevin Lee Osterloh - 2008 "Although the activities of the two are paralleled, Paul is celebrated as the apostle responsible for Christianity's worldwide spread, while Peter is associated with the early mission to the Jews"
  2. ^ Anti-Judaism in Early Christianity: Separation and polemic ed. Peter Richardson, David M. Granskou, Stephen G. Wilson 1986 p75 "Still, Justin's respect for his learned opponent is apparent throughout the Dialogue, and he is willing to give Trypho the benefit of the doubt on his motivations (65. 2-3)."
  3. ^ Stemberger
  4. ^ Günter Stemberger Jews and Christians in the Holy Land: Palestine in the fourth century 2000 "For example, Sozomen reports that in Constantinople (under Constantine?) countless Jews also converted to Christianity.92 The question remains to what extent it could still be expected of Jewish converts of this period that they should join a Jewish Christian congregation. Would they not rather attempt to make a radical break with their past? The Judaizers mentioned again and again, for example, in Jerome, are not automatically Jewish Christians."
  5. ^ Dr. Edward Kessler, Neil Wenborn A dictionary of Jewish-Christian relations p298 2005 "John Calvin did not consider mission to Jews an urgent priority in his early ministry, partly because he worked in an area with few Jews."
  6. ^ Missionary register Church Missionary Society - 1841 "Dr. Duncan, the first Missionary to the Jews appointed by the Committee, will proceed in a few months, with two Missionary Students, to Pest, in Hungary"
  7. ^ Yaron Perry British mission to the Jews in nineteenth-century Palestine 2003 p22 "STRIKING ROOT A new era dawned in the history of the London Society in Palestine with the arrival of John Nicolayson (his original name was Hans Nicolajsen).".
  8. ^ p259 onwards, chapter 11 of The Cambridge History of Judaism Vol.4: The late Roman-Rabbinic period ed. William David Davies, Louis Finkelstein, Steven T. Katz.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Jews for Jesus — is a Christian [ * During my time with the mission, I found Jews for Jesus to be a Christian ministry (or Messianic, if you prefer) with a passion for the good news about Jesus... Pastor Lev Leigh. Hope Baptist Church. Richmond, CA (… …   Wikipedia

  • Christian Social Party (Germany) — Christian Social Party Christlich–soziale Partei Founded 1 February 1878 Dissolved November 1918 Succeeded by German National People s Party Ideology …   Wikipedia

  • CHRISTIAN SOCIAL PARTY, GERMAN — (Christlichsoziale Partei), originally the Christian Social Workers Party, Christlichsoziale Arbeiterpartei, founded in Berlin in 1878 by the court preacher …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Christian-Jewish reconciliation — Reconciliation between Christianity and Judaism refers to the efforts that are being made to improve understanding of the Jewish people and of Judaism, to do away with Christian antisemitism and Jewish anti Christian sentiment. There has been… …   Wikipedia

  • Christian Doctrine —     Christian Doctrine     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Christian Doctrine     Taken in the sense of the act of teaching and the knowledge imparted by teaching , this term is synonymous with CATECHESIS and CATECHISM. Didaskalia, didache, in the… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Christian Wicca — is a syncretism of Christianity and Wicca. Christian Wiccans adhere to the polytheistic nature religion known as Wicca and profess belief in the teachings of Jesus. Christian Wicca is a particular denomination of the system of beliefs known as… …   Wikipedia

  • Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality — (JONAH) is a Jewish organization that focuses on “prevention, intervention, and healing of the underlying issues causing same sex attractions”. [http://www.jonahweb.org/cms/e/index.php?option=content task=category sectionid=5 id=12 Itemid=31… …   Wikipedia

  • Christian David Ginsburg — Nom de naissance David Ginsburg Naissance 1831 Varsovie Décès 1914 (à 83 ans) Palmers Green …   Wikipédia en Français

  • JEWISH-CHRISTIAN RELATIONS — Christian Jewish contacts have progressed significantly at the initiative of the major international Church organizations and of national and regional church bodies. Of special importance are the contacts with the main Church organizations: the… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Jews as a chosen people — In Judaism, chosenness is the belief that the Jews are the chosen people: chosen to be in a covenant with God. This idea is first found in the Torah (five books of Moses) and is elaborated on in later books of the Hebrew Bible. Much is written… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”