Replacement Theology

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:15 am

Replacement Theology

Replacement Theology is as old as Christianity itself, considering that the etimology of the expression acquired its real meaning with the rise of Christianity.

Some people object to the focusing on Christianity for the reason why Replacement Theology originated, because the Jewish People was not the only ancient people with the original claim to be God's chosen People.

It's true that a few other ancient peoples upheld the same claim, but there was never one to rise with the claim that a people had been replaced by another as God's chosen People.

Christianity became the first religious organization to rise with the claim that a change had occurred in the designs of God, which would define the rejection of the Jewish People, and resplacement with Christianity.

The classical NT document, which would give rise to this Christian policy is found in Galatians 4:21-31.

Paul would compare God's Covenant with the Jewish People as Hagar, who was Sara's slave girl, and the Jews as her son, who was rejected even to share with Isaac, the inheritance of Canaan. On the other hand, he compares Christianity to Sara and Christians to her son Isaac.

To conclude, Paul appeals to cast out the slave girl together with her son for the obvious reason that Israel, the Jewish People, would never be an heir with the son of the one born free.

That's the picture of Replacement Theology and not simply a people claiming Divine election. A group of Interfaith Scholars have classified Replacement Theology as a kind of Antisemitism.

Ben

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Sat May 23, 2009 3:17 am

kayky wrote:
No, we are dealing with my trust in the Hebrew Scriptures. The only Scriptures that Jesus used to handle.
It is a personal opinion based on a cultural opinion. In other words, you believe it because you were taught to believe it.

Really! Tell me, do you believe something that you have not been taught to believe in? If you do, would you mind sharing it with me?

kayky · Post by **kayky** » Sat May 23, 2009 10:11 am

Really! Tell me, do you believe something that you have not been taught to believe in? If you do, would you mind sharing it with me?

I would be happy to share my experiences with you. I was raised to be a fundamentalist Christian--but by my mid-twenties, I found such a position to be intellectually untenable and spiritually bankrupt. So I sought out new "teachers." Some of them were not Christians at all. But I was able to come to my own conclusions by opening my mind to all of the world's wisdom.

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Tue May 26, 2009 2:47 pm

kayky wrote:
Really! Tell me, do you believe something that you have not been taught to believe in? If you do, would you mind sharing it with me?
I would be happy to share my experiences with you. I was raised to be a fundamentalist Christian--but by my mid-twenties, I found such a position to be intellectually untenable and spiritually bankrupt. So I sought out new "teachers." Some of them were not Christians at all. But I was able to come to my own conclusions by opening my mind to all of the world's wisdom.

So, you came to your conclusions based on what you were taught by the new teachers you sought out. That's what I mean. Our beliefs are molded according to what we are taught by others or learned from books.

kayky · Post by **kayky** » Tue May 26, 2009 9:06 pm

So, you came to your conclusions based on what you were taught by the new teachers you sought out. That's what I mean. Our beliefs are molded according to what we are taught by others or learned from books.

We all learn from teachers, but that doesn't mean we simply accept what they say without critical thinking. That's the mistake of the fundamentalist.

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Fri May 29, 2009 10:15 am

kayky wrote:
So, you came to your conclusions based on what you were taught by the new teachers you sought out. That's what I mean. Our beliefs are molded according to what we are taught by others or learned from books.
We all learn from teachers, but that doesn't mean we simply accept what they say without critical thinking. That's the mistake of the fundamentalist.

That's exactly my point my friend. I agree with you and I am glad you are not a fundamentalist.

Jonah · Post by **Jonah** » Fri May 29, 2009 12:57 pm

I always thought of the term "chosen" to apply to "job". Israel was chosen for a specific job, and my Reform Judaism bent tells me that job is to simply be Israel toward tikkun olam. As I mentioned in my comments on the disposable world thread, I would have liked that Christianity would have the same sense of choseness or election, and I see no reason why Christianity could not have just seen iteself as a particular extension or version to the nations of "the job". I have read that Maimonides had this view to some extent.

kayky · Post by **kayky** » Fri May 29, 2009 1:04 pm

Jonah wrote:I always thought of the term "chosen" to apply to "job". Israel was chosen for a specific job, and my Reform Judaism bent tells me that job is to simply be Israel toward tikkun olam. As I mentioned in my comments on the disposable world thread, I would have liked that Christianity would have the same sense of choseness or election, and I see no reason why Christianity could not have just seen iteself as a particular extension or version to the nations of "the job". I have read that Maimonides had this view to some extent.

I really like the idea of tikkun olam. Do you see it as being related to evolution in any way?

Jonah · Post by **Jonah** » Fri May 29, 2009 1:23 pm

I certainly do see tikkun olam, and Judaism at large, as evolutionary. I think just one aspect of that is how Judaism has rather an open and ongoing canon of texts (wrestling with Torah in the here and now) it works from...in the sense that rabbinic interpretation of Torah is ongoing. This is different than the Christian closed canon...or at least much of Christian communities (certainly some liberal Christians have an unofficial open canon.)

Goat · Post by **Goat** » Fri May 29, 2009 2:22 pm

Jonah wrote:I always thought of the term "chosen" to apply to "job". Israel was chosen for a specific job, and my Reform Judaism bent tells me that job is to simply be Israel toward tikkun olam. As I mentioned in my comments on the disposable world thread, I would have liked that Christianity would have the same sense of choseness or election, and I see no reason why Christianity could not have just seen iteself as a particular extension or version to the nations of "the job". I have read that Maimonides had this view to some extent.

I like how the Jewish converts that used to be ministers/pastors phrase things.

cnorman18 was a minister that converted to Judaism. It seems to be a trend

Jonah · Post by **Jonah** » Fri May 29, 2009 2:36 pm

goat,

lol. I have some sense of a conversion profile or personality of converts that some born Jews see. Many do not speak openly of it. I guess my plan has always been, in Reform circles at least, is to say: Well, it's to be expected. Everyone comes from somewhere. There is going to be a certain christianesque motif that comes in the door when converts from Christianity are admitted. So, I may sometimes have a christian "accent", but I'm a plain enough guy to say that I know that a Christian is not a Jew, and a Jew not a Christian. Maybe the rest is the influence of proximity and hope.