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For articles on messianic beliefs within Judaism , see the entries on Jewish Eschatology and Jewish Messiah . Messianic Judaism is a religious movement which typically combines Christian Theology with Jewish religious practice. Harris-Shapiro, Carol , ''Messianic Judaism: A Rabbi's Journey through Religious Change in America'', Beacon Press, 1999, ISBN 0807010405, p. 88, p.102. "Messianic Judaism - A faith group with an Evangelical Christian theology" , Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, retrieved March 20, 2006. HISTORY Messianic Judaism is of recent development, having been started by Christians as an evangelical movement to bring Jews to Christian beliefs. In 1866 the Hebrew Christian Alliance of Great Britain was organized with branches in several European countries and the United States, at the Trinity Chapel. A similar group, The Hebrew Christian Association of America (HCAA) was organized in the U.S. in 1915. The International Hebrew Christian Alliance (IHCA) was organized in 1925 (later becoming the International Messianic Jewish Alliance). Additional groups were formed during subsequent decades. (Robert I. Winer, The Calling: The History of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America) A major shift in the movement occurred when Martin Chernoff became the President of the HCAA (1971-1975). In June of 1973, a motion was made to change the name of the HCAA to the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA), and the name was officially changed in June of 1975. The name change was significant as more than just a "semantical expression;" according to David Rausch, "it represented an evolution in the thought processes and religious and philosophical outlook toward a more fervent expression of Jewish identity."(David A. Rausch, Messianic Judaism: Its History, Theology, and Polity) ORGANIZATION AND BELIEFS The organized Messianic Movement consists of congregations in at least 35 states of the . Global membership includes at least 18 countries . The Messianic Movement comprises many streams, each with its own views and emphases, but in general all consider it important to express their belief in Jesus in a way consistent with their Jewish culture. The Messianic Movement as a whole can be seen as a mixed-continuum, with some Messianic organizations drawing more heavily from Jewish tradition, and others from Christian sources, in varying degrees. Many Messianic Jews trace their spiritual roots to the period of Jesus of Nazareth's time before his resurrection, citing that most of his followers were Jewish before then. The body of believers began to include non-Jewish (Gentile) believers in the period which Luke the Physician wrote Acts of the Apostles. Around the time of Constantine, though, the Jewish followers of the Christian way were excluded from mainstream Christianity and after much persecution, all but disappeared. Anti-semitism in protestant denominations is sometimes attributed to Martin Luther's frustration at the Jews not becoming followers of Jesus at the time of his 95 theses. The mainstream Messianic movement The two largest Messianic organizations, the and Trinitarian in doctrine, but drawing heavily on Jewish sources to interpret the '' B'rit Chadasha '' ( New Testament ) as well as the '' Tanakh '' ( Old Testament ). Messianics share with most Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians a belief that Jesus will someday return to the earth and establish his kingdom here. Much more widespread among Messianics than other Evangelicals, however, is the belief that the return of Jesus is dependent on his acceptance by the Jewish people. Many Messianics (though not all) interpret Matthew 23:39 ''("I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'")'' to mean that the Jewish people, or at least a very significant number of them, must believe in Jesus as the Messiah before he can come back. A growing interest among some streams of Messianic Judaism is evangelism among gentiles, as well as Jews, in order to fulfill what they believe was God's original purpose for the Jewish people, to be God's model people and reveal the knowledge of the true God to the whole world. This also reflects an increasing attraction on the part of Gentiles to the Messianic movement. Some are attracted because they are in a relationship with a Jew and feel the movement is a "compromise" between Judaism and Christianity, but many are devout Christians who feel that the movement is a way to better appreciate the Hebrew roots of Christianity while still maintaining their faith. RELIGIOUS PRACTICES The following practices are common among Messianic Congregations. They reflect an effort to express their faith in Jesus as messiah within Judaism.
MESSIANIC JUDAISM OR HEBREW CHRISTIANITY? Many Jewish converts to Christianity do not consider themselves "Messianic Jews". Protestant and Catholic churches may have Jewish converts among their members, but these members self-identify as Christians. They are also sometimes referred to as Jewish Christians , Hebrew Christians, or Christian Jews. The term "Messianic Jew" is used predominantly to refer to those affiliated with organizations or congregations that claim to be specifically part of the self-described Messianic Jewish movement. Messianic Jews consider their primary identity to be "Jewish" and belief in Jesus to be the logical conclusion of their "Jewishness". They try to structure their worship according to Jewish norms, and generally follow some parts of Jewish Law . Many (but by no means all) do not use the label "Christian" to describe themselves. Hebrew Christians identify themselves primarily as Christians . They are (mostly) members of Protestant and Catholic congregations, generally do not practice any aspects of Jewish law, and are typically assimilated culturally into the Christian mainstream, although they retain a strong sense of their Jewish identity which they, like Messianic Jews, strongly desire to pass on to their children. Though the boundary between the two movements is blurred, because of their differences they are often treated separately. CRITICS OF THE MESSIANIC MOVEMENT While some Messianic Jews are possibly ethnically Jewish (and as such would be considered Jews even by traditional Jewish standards), Messianic Judaism is not recognized as a legitimate form of Judaism by recognized Jewish organization or leaders. Mainstream Jewish denominations and organizations hold that Messianic Jews are not practicing Judaism, but Protestant Christianity . Messianic Judaism is held to be non-Jewish by Reform, Orthodox, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Judaism . Most Jewish groups consider the movement to be an evangelizing tool created and supported by larger Christian denominations. Many Messianic leaders are ordained clergy of various Christian denominations and a number of the Messianic clergy have no ethnic connection to Judaism. A growing list of Christian denominations, such as the Southern Baptist Convention and the Assemblies Of God movement, actively participate in establishing Messianic congregations as part of their efforts to evangelize the Jewish people. At the present time, more than ten different Christian denominations count Messianic congregations as members of their denomination. These congregations almost by definition begin at the far evangelical pole (if they can be considered Messianic at all), but often move towards the Torah pole. Some Christians, mostly liberal, feel that Messianic groups are guilty of false advertising. In 1977 , for example, the Board of Governors of the Long Island Council of Churches (New York) accused Jews For Jesus of "engaging in subterfuge and dishonesty," and of "mixing religious symbols in ways that distort their essential meaning." The Jews for Jesus organization filed a lawsuit, which was ultimately rejected, against the 600-member council in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan. (''The New York Times '', July 2, 1977). ''(In New York State, a Supreme Court is a general trial court equivalent to a District Court in most other states.)'' Another organization critical of the Messianic Movement is the Interfaith Conference Of Metropolitan Washington . In 1997 this group, comprising liberal Christian, as well as Jewish and Muslim leaders, put out A Strongly Worded Statement , condemning the proselytization efforts of the Messianic Movement. Most Evangelicals reject the criticism and defend evangelism among Jews. Some Evangelicals, however, have criticized the Messianic Movement on entirely different grounds. Some consider the movement to be "too Jewish" for holding on to parts of the Old Testament that many Christians believe are not applicable today. This criticism is not widespread in Evangelical circles, but appears to be growing, especially as the movement defines itself as a Judaism. SUPPORTERS WITHIN SECULAR JUDAISM Reconstructionist Rabbi Carol Harris-Shapiro wrote in her book ''Messianic Judaism'' that it could be considered an authentic branch of Judaism. Reform Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok , editor of ''Voices of Messianic Judaism: Confronting Critical Issues Facing a Maturing Movement,'' also regards it as a valid form of Judaism. However, their work has failed to win any acceptance among their denominations, or among the wider Jewish community, and indeed, their work has provoked sharp and widespread criticism within Judaism. Currently, they appear to stand alone in the mainstream Jewish denominations with this view. MESSIANIC RELIGIONS IN GENERAL The use of the term "Messianic" is not new. Diverse religious groups have Messianic beliefs which are not compatible with what has come to be commonly referred to as Messianic Judaism. Most notably, Rabbinic Judaism, including all the Jewish Denominations , have a variety of beliefs about a future messianic era. Some Jewish groups whose beliefs stress the messianic aspects are known in the literature as "messianic Jews", but that is not the topic of this article. For messianic beliefs within traditional Judaism, see the entries on Jewish Eschatology and Jewish Messiah . SEE ALSO
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS Articles
Messianic websites
Counter Messianic websites
Some essays about Messianics by non-Messianics
BOOKS ON MESSIANIC TOPICS
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