My first introduction to Judaism would be when I read the Tanakh, which at the time I understood only as the “Old Testament.” I interpreted it in the way Christians had generally been taught to do so: that is, it represented the ancient Jewish faith, a faith that served as God’s predecessor to Christianity, and so, a faith which had fulfilled its purpose at the time of Jesus’s birth. This gave me a very limited, and biased, reading of the Tanakh. While I learned stories and legends which Jews and Christians held in common, I did not understand their Jewish context, which is why I did not understand that context and how it helped Judaism continue to develop after the advent of Jesus Christ. Thus, I held, for some time, a version of “replacement theology,” albeit one which looked favorably on the Jews (and so, without the blatant antisemitic heritage that most versions of replacement theology contain in them, even if, underneath it, there likely was subtle elements of antisemitism). Obviously, this was possible because when I was born, I was not residing in a culture where anti-Jewish legends were repeated. I am thankful that I first learned about such legends in the context of history classes, often with the focus on explaining how they helped lead to the Holocaust, because I have seen and learned of others whose introduction of them came from their families, making them more likely to accept more blatant, and worse forms of antisemitism.
Since kindergarten, I have had several Jewish friends and classmates. One who has had some of the most profound influence on me was Danny. While we were not close friends, I like to think we were friends early on in grade school, and that we drifted apart as we found ourselves in different classrooms. Nonetheless, we always got along well. I remember, for example, in middle school, helping him finish some homework for a class we had together. He, more than anyone else, gave me my first sense of Jewish people, and with it, the Jewish faith; through him (and others in school), I not only learned about the Jewish religious calendar, but how many Jews raised their children to take their heritage seriously, making sure they had their own special education after school which focused on their roots. He gave me a very good impression of Judaism, one which helped make sure I would not fall for antisemitism when I would eventually be confronted by it. But, what made him doubly influential, was that he died around the age of 14; he was hit by a car when he was riding his bike. It made sure I would never forget him and the time we had together, however brief it was, and with it, I was able to remember what I learned from him through the time we knew each other.
Another one of my Jewish classmates who helped shape my understanding of Judaism is one I met in high school, but sadly, after all these years, I forgot his name. What I do remember, and what made him significant, is how, for one year, we would meet in the library every day (I would go there during “study hall”), talk, and eventually get in a little debate about religion. While I did not realize it at the time, he introduced to me a new way of reading the prophetic texts of the Tanakh. For, until then, I had only been given their Christian interpretation, one which made me see and understand them in the way Christians saw them as being fulfilled by Jesus. At the time, I was not willing to take his interpretation seriously, but later, after I started taking other religious faith seriously, what he said would resonate with me, as I came to understand how any text, and so Scripture, will be interpreted differently based upon our own hermeneutical lens. I saw that he and I had a different hermeneutical lens, and his was one I had not really explored. Now, I understand that there can be, and are, a variety of valid interpretations of the prophetic texts, interpretations which should work to complement each other instead as seen as rivals, so that we do not have to dismiss Jewish interpretations to accept Christian ones. Interestingly enough, my study of hermeneutics happened around the same time as I studied elements from the Kabbalah, and as I did so, I found commentators on the Kabbalah reinforcing my understanding of hermeneutics.
When I went to Indiana University, I had become interested in world religions, which is why my undergraduate degree was in Religious Studies. While there, I took several classes which explored various aspects of the Jewish faith. First, I had a course which served as an introduction to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Another class I took explored notions of war and peace coming from the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Similarly, I took a class entitled, “Famous Last Words,” and it explored the way religious literature represented the final statements of people of faith, and as such, Egyptian, Jewish, Christian and Islamic texts, including some coming from the “Old Testament pseudopigrapha” were sources of our discussions. What I gained from my classwork was an introduction to concepts and authors I would eventually take much more seriously on my own.
Perhaps the next major event in my life was when I visited Egypt. I had many interests which took me there, among which were the places associated with Jewish history. I visited Old Cairo, where both Jews and Christians have sites connected to history and legend. Seeing them in person helped give me a sense, once again, of how Jews and Christians shared much in common. I saw how they were able to survive, and even thrive, sometimes working together, sometimes at cross purposes. Nonetheless, it helped strengthen my resolve to fight against antisemitism, seeing, as I did there, how many Jews, Christians and Muslims not only embraced their common heritage together, but they saw it meant they should work together to promote what is positive in each other’s traditions.
A few years before I visited Egypt, and so a few years before I went to Xavier for my Master’s degree, I took a keen interest in the mystical dimensions of Christianity. Among the many writings I read were from Pico della Mirandola and Reuchlin, both who took on and engaged Jewish mysticism in their own works (and even defend the Jews against those who wanted to mistreat and abuse them). They encouraged me to do likewise, Since then, I have read all the volumes of the Classics of Western Spirituality coming from Jewish authors, I have explored the writings of Gershom Scholem, I have brought and read many texts connected with the Kabbalah, and through them all, have come to have a better understanding of Judaism (not just mystical Judaism, but Judaism as a whole).
I have not only studied mystical Jewish writers. I cannot remember when I did so, but I found myself interested in medieval Judaism thanks to the way many Christian scholastic writers read and engaged Jewish writers of their time. That foundation would serve me well, as a course I took during my doctoral studies, one dealing with comparative theology showed how the schoomen engaged Jewish and Islamic sources as a way to develop their own theological understanding. I not only was able to follow along, but found myself even more interested in using Jewish theological sources as a way to develop my own theology.
What I learned reading Jewish mysticism and other Jewish theological sources, what I learned studying Jewish history, and what I learned through my Jewish friends and associates, was that Judaism was far more than the simplified notion of Judaism I had in my youth. For, early on, I thought that once Jesus Christ had been born, died, and rose again, Judaism lost its religious center (the Temple) and its reason to continue to exist. I came to see differently, that Judaism continued to possess the inspiration which God had given it at the foundations of Jewish history, and I saw Jews not only preserved it, but helped develop it further throughout history. This means they have something unique which Christians should study and learn for themselves. Sadly, Christians did not do so historically because they saw the Jews as being abandoned by God, thinking that their traditions were worthless. God did not abandon them, as God does not abandon anyone. They have elements of insight thanks to God’s work with them, insight which Christians should not have ignored. Thankfully, I live in a time when many Christians have come to realize this, making it that much easier for us to study and learn from Judaism without first having to overturn prejudices which would limit our engagement with and appreciation of the Jewish faith.
Judaism was the first non-Christian religion that I was introduced to, and while I have taken an interest in it, and its history, and in many of its great thinkers, I must admit, I have engaged it far less than many other religions. It is, I think, due to its pseudo-familiarity, as well as the accidents of my life, which have led to this. Yes, I have had and continue to have Jewish friends and associates, but they have tended to be more remote than other friends and associates. Yes, I study it, but now, I do so, mostly when providence leads me to find a Jewish text at my local bookstore which catches my attention (such as many of the commentaries written by Maimonides). In general, I find myself focused on other faith traditions. This is not to say I ignore Judaism. I certainly don’t, and I make sure, from time to time, to look for new Jewish authors and texts to read. Each time I do so, I find my faith is enriched in the process, proving it has been and continues to be a worthwhile endeavor.
Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!
N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In