Myth of the Judeo-Christian Tradition and Other Dissenting

by Arthur Allen Cohen

Book Overview

If Jewish-Christian relations are to be established on an honest foundation, the facade of seeming harmony and concord must be broken through. The present uneasy state of accommodation assumes a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B000STCEUW
• Release Date: January 1970
• Publisher: Harper & Row
• Length: 223 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Judeo-Christianity: Hurting Truth may set You Free

"The Judeo-Christian tradition." One may believe in it, live in it and die for it, but still not be quite sure what it is." Martin Marty Judeo-Christianity: The expression "Judeo-Christianity" is intended to be the body of concepts and values held in common by Christianity and Judaica. This term has been criticized for implying more commonality than actually existed since early sixties America. It is alleged that the term was used in the United States of America in an attempt to create a non-denominational religious consensus or civil religion that by embracing Judaism avoids the appearance of anti-Semitism. The original usage of the term has somewhat faded, and now usually refers to a general western religious heritage, as a shorthand for the cultural foundation of the western society. Christian Theologian's View: "Today, people are tested by a new shibboleth, the 'Judeo-Christian tradition,'and though the tar pots and bushels of feathers are only figurative, haplessness is still in." M.Marty We, all the children of Abraham; who believe in the God of Israel; and trust the biblical script is vital for our society, but still have trouble with Judeo-Christian traditions both in the historical and especially in the theological sense. Judeo-Christian Myth: In his very touching debating argument, Arthur A. Cohen, an eloquent Jewish thinker/theologian puts in question the appropriateness of the term theologically and historically. He suggests that this invention of American politically correct trend took an exagerated pretentious and hypocritical attitude, to promote interfaith accord ending the ageless prejudices. Frequent users of the term Judeo-Christian, advocate that Christians and Jews not only rely on the authority of the common 39 books of the Hebrew bible as OLD testament, but that the writers of the new Testament were Jewish. Even if their ethical standards are based on common grounds of the decalogue, and Nabiim, their applied religion differs as much as how Jesus Christ interpreted them radically different. It is generally true that Christians and Jews worship the same God, whose Godhead identification, and/or definition is basically different, as a consequence to the Helenistic influence on Christian theology. Beginning with the early years of the twentieth century, Cohen presents with critical analysis the changing relationship between Judaism and Christianity reflected by Jewish contact and collision with Christianity. As a consequence to the holocaust and other atrocities commited during world War II, radical changes such as Vatican declarations that indicate major breakthroughs in Christian attitudes toward Judaism started to show up. He is questioning Christian scholars' novel appreciation of rabbinic Judaism, and comparing with Christianity as the Messianic hope. The Judeo-Christian tradition, perhaps, consists of no more than what is found in the text of the Tanakh (the Old Testament of the Christian Bible), but, even so,