Comparing Judaism and Christianity

Judaism

Judaism - Origins Hebrews migrated from the Arabian Peninsula & into Egypt around 1700 BCE – many of whom were enslaved by the Egyptians After Moses led the Hebrews from Egypt in 1300 BCE (Exodus) he was given the Ten Commandments & it was revealed that the Hebrews were God’s chosen people Hebrews entered a covenant w/ God in which they were forbidden to worship any other gods & must follow the Ten Commandments The Hebrews returned to Israel & established a monarchy which reached its peak under Kings David & Solomon around 1000 BCE Israel would be destroyed by the Assyrians & Babylonians and incorporated into the Greek & Roman Empires after 330 BCE – caused the mass migration of much of the population

Judaism – Main Beliefs Monotheism – there is only 1 God The task of humans is to honor & serve God by following the Laws of Moses as contained in the Torah (The Old Testament) Judaism is centered around the belief that Hebrews have a unique relationship w/ God as the “chosen people” Though there are many traditions & rituals associated w/ Judaism, it is also intended to preserve & maintain the identity of a specific people (Jews) – Judaism is a set of religious beliefs AND a set of societal customs designed to hold the Jewish people together

Judaism – Broader Impact Judaism was the first of the major monotheistic religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) Judaism, Islam & Christianity all have common roots in Abraham & share many similar characteristics & practices The beliefs of Judaism have been the driving force behind the political establishment & maintenance of the state of Israel Judaism has NO “missionary” belief regarding conversion of non-Jewish people but rather is confined to a very specific people & culture

Christianity

Christianity - Origins The first Christians were a splinter group of Jews following the teachings of Jesus Christ – a Jew born in Judea (present-day Israel) The first followers of Jesus were all Jews, but Paul began to spread the beliefs to non-Jews within the Roman Empire after Jesus’ death (around 30 CE) – his followers compiled a body of writings about his life & teachings (New Testament) The Roman system of roads & communication allowed for Christianity to spread rapidly throughout the empire after 40 CE Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan (313 CE) making Christianity legal in the Roman Empire Due to the Silk Roads & later an active missionary movement, Christianity spread to all corners of the globe

Christianity – Main Beliefs Monotheistic – there is only one God & his Son Jesus Jesus preached devotion to God and love & compassion for fellow human beings All classes, genders & races are equal before God & that the faithful would be rewarded with eternal life in heaven w/ God – made the religion very appealing to the lower classes & women In order to be accepted into heaven, the faithful must accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior Christians practice a wide variety of rituals intended to show their devotion & faith Many Christian beliefs have evolved into a variety of branches of the same central religion

Christianity – Broader Influence Due to its popularity w/ the lower classes & women, by 300 CE Christianity was the most influential religion in the Mediterranean Basin After a period of persecution, Christianity became legal and eventually the official religion of the Roman Empire Christianity would have a huge impact on the European Era of Exploration and the colonization of the Americas Christianity has followers on every continent & in most countries of the world Much of Christianity’s popularity has to do w/ its missionary tradition of spreading the religion to non-Christian people & its historical connection to nation-states in Europe