Replacement Theology

[Ben Masada]

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a few other ancient peoples upheld the same claim, but there was never one to rise with the claim that a people had been replaced by another as God's chosen People.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

[cnorman18]

Replacement theology, aka "supersessionist" theology, absolutely is the origin and primary reason for antisemitism.
You might want to check out a relatively recent thread witn a remarkably similar title:

"Replacement" Theology

[Ben Masada]

Replacement theology, aka "supersessionist" theology, absolutely is the origin and primary reason for antisemitism.
You might want to check out a relatively recent thread witn a remarkably similar title:

"Replacement" Theology

That's exactly what it is: Supersessionism by another word.

[kayky]

I've got news for both the Christians and the Jews: God's chosen race is the human race. That should settle the issue. Nobody needs to cast out anybody or repace anybody. We're all sailing aboard the same ship.

[cnorman18]

I've got news for both the Christians and the Jews: God's chosen race is the human race. That should settle the issue. Nobody needs to cast out anybody or repace anybody. We're all sailing aboard the same ship.

I suppose one of us should have made it clear that Christian "replacement theology" is based on a gross misunderstanding of Jewish teachings in the first place.

The concept of "the chosen people" is not much referred to in Jewish circles nowadays, precisely because it is so commonly misunderstood and because there is so much resistance to understanding what it actually means.

It NEVER meant that only Jews are to be "saved"; "salvation" itself, in the Christian sense, is a Christian invention.

It never meant that Jews were to be singled out for special favor; in fact, it is clear in both the Bible and in Jewish teachings that the Jewish people are to be held to higher ethical standards than those of other nations (e.g., avoiding pork is not a commandment for Gentiles, nor is eating pork considered a "sin" for them. For that matter, the concept of "sin" is not the same in Judaism as in Christianity, and is not as central a matter of concern).

In Jewish teaching, all nations, i.e., those of any religion or none, have a place in the "life to come" (if there is one, which is unclear).

The Torah was given at Mount Sinai, outside of the land of Israel, to signify that it belongs to ALL peoples, and not only to the Jews.

Jews do not, as a rule, declare other religions to be true or false. Only on the issue of literal idolatry, rather rare in modern times, do we pronounce judgment. We claim to know only how WE are to relate to God; if He chose to speak to another people in another way, we have no warrant to say He did not. While we may, individually or collectively, comment on specific practices or beliefs of another faith, on its general merits or truth we claim no special knowledge or authority.

Many people, especially Christians, think they know what Judaism is and what it teaches. Few actually do.

And please don't bother to try to prove what Jews believe or teach by quoting the Hebrew Bible. Scripture is not by itself determinative of Jewish belief or teaching, and never has been. That is one of the points that is so frequently misunderstood.

No one has the right to make a pronouncement on whether or not that approach is correct, either. Jews get to determine what Judaism is and what it teaches. Non-Jews and former Jews don't get a vote, any more than non-Christians have a vote in determining of what Christianity ought to consist.

[kayky]

I certainly respect your beliefs, but I must be honest and say that much of what is written in the Old Testament about the relationship between God and the Jews I find to be a tribal reaction to a tribal god. That doesn't invalidate Judaism as a religion, but I just think that Jews sometimes make the same mistake that Christians do when taking their ancient writings too literally.

[cnorman18]

I certainly respect your beliefs, but I must be honest and say that much of what is written in the Old Testament about the relationship between God and the Jews I find to be a tribal reaction to a tribal god. That doesn't invalidate Judaism as a religion, but I just think that Jews sometimes make the same mistake that Christians do when taking their ancient writings too literally.

If you pick up a Jewish study Bible, you will find that the introductions to the various books and the commentary acknowledge the tribal origins of the Jewish faith, the legendary and mythic nature of much of the text, and go into some detail about the J, E, P and D sources and the derivation of parts of the Bible from Gilgamesh, the Enuma Elish, the Ugaritic texts, and other ancient documents.

Very, very few modern Jews are Biblical literalists, and many lay Jews are more sophisticated and knowledgable in terms of genuine academic Biblical scholarship than many Christian clergymen.

I should know - I have been both.

[kayky]

I would be very interested in having you at least attempt to explain to these Gentile ears what most Jews do mean when they say that Jews are "chosen."

[Goat]

I would be very interested in having you at least attempt to explain to these Gentile ears what most Jews do mean when they say that Jews are "chosen."

Among Jews, it would be better to say that the Jews are the "Chosing' people, because the Jews have decieded to enter the convenent with God, and follow the Mitvahs. It has to do with the extra responsiblities. Judaism is a faith based religion, and it doesn't say that Judaism is the only way to God, it is just the way the Jews have chosen.

[kayky]

What are these extra responsibilities?