Messianic Judaism as a Syncretic Movement
Hatice Arslan SözüdoğruMessianic Judaism is a new religion movement that emerged as a result of the Christianization activity of Protestant missionaries. Converted Jews claimed that it was possible to maintain their religious and national values and to believe Jesus (Yeshua) as the divine son. They established various associations within the framework of this view. Syncretizing two essential beliefs such as Judaism and Christianity, emerging in the modern age, the historical development of Messianic Judaism and belief and religious practices are the subject of this article. In this context, firstly, the position of Messianic Judaism among other Jewish Christian groups and the main factors that affect the emergence of the movement will be tried to be determined. At the same time, I will discuss the historical process of the emergence of the movement and the breaking point of the Jews in the Christianization process. Finally, information will be given about the beliefs and practices of the Messianic Jews.
Senkretik Bir Hareket Olarak Mesihi Yahudilik
Hatice Arslan SözüdoğruMesihi Yahudilik, Protestan misyonerlerin Yahudilere yönelik Hıristiyanlaştırma faaliyeti sonucunda din değiştiren Yahudilerin zamanla kendi dini ve milli değerlerinden vazgeçmeden İsa’nın (Yeşua) tanrısal oğul ve beklenen Mesih olduğuna inanmanın mümkün olduğunu savunmaları ve bu görüş çerçevesinde çeşitli birlikler oluşturmaları ile ortaya çıkan yeni bir dini harekettir. Yahudilik ve Hıristiyanlık gibi iki köklü inancı senkretize ederek modern dönemde ortaya çıkan Mesihi Yahudiliğin tarihsel gelişimi ile inanç ve dini uygulamaları bu makalenin konusunu oluşturmaktadır. Bu çerçevede öncelikle Mesihi Yahudiliğin diğer Yahudi Hıristiyan gruplar arasındaki konumu ve hareketin doğuşuna etki eden temel faktörler tespit edilmeye çalışılacaktır. Aynı zamanda hareketin ortaya çıkışının tarihsel süreci kronolojik olarak incelenerek Yahudilerin Hıristiyan olma sürecindeki kırılma noktalarına ışık tutulacaktır. Son olarak Mesihi Yahudilerin inanç ve uygulamaları hakkında bilgi verilecektir.
Messianic Judaism is a new religious movement that combines faith in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God with Jewish culture and identity. Messianic Jews insisted on not being regarded as converts to Christianity, but rather as “Completed Jews”. Thus they emphasized attachment to their Jewish heritage. They strongly opposed assimilation within Gentile Christian church.
Since the first century of the emergence of Christianity, spreading the message of Christ Jesus to different societies has been accepted as a religious requirement. For, it is stated in the New Testament texts that Jesus wanted his message to be spread among the Israelites before the crucifixion, and then to all nations. Since the Church accepted the Jews as the killers of Christ and the worst enemy of Christianity in the period up to the Reformation, they used force in their mission activities and forced them to convert. With the rediscovery of the Bible after the reform, the attitude towards Jews started to change. Especially within the framework of the influence of Puritanism and the eschatological views of Protestant Evangelists, it is seen that Jewish religious and national values are used in mission activities, emphasizing the historical role of the Jews in the divine plan. The Messianic Judaism, too, emerged as a result of these missions of Christians, and formed various unions in Europe, America, Israel and many other countries throughout the 20th century. Incidents eschatologically associated with the second coming of Christ, such as the establishment of the State of Israel and the Six Day War, encouraged the Jewish Christians to maintain their identity.
This awakening of Jewish national consciousness also led to the emergence of some other Jewish Christian groups. The most important feature that distinguishes the Messianic Jews from other Jewish Christian groups is that they claim that they do not intend to Christianize the Jewish people, but rather try to make them true Jews.
In the early 2000s, there were about 400 Messianic congregations in America, and the number of members of this congregation is higher than the number of Reconstructionist Jews. In Israel, while their number was only a few hundred at the end of the 1960s, it is estimated that it has exceeded 15,000 since 2010. Messianic Judaism, a movement with a missionary character, accepts members from ethnically Jews and non-Jews.
Although the Messianic Jewish communities put forward quite different opinions from each other in the field of belief, most of them adopt the traditional Christian views on issues such as the divinity of Jesus, the Trinity, the authority of the Bible.
Messianic Jews do not worship in the church but in the synagogue. Although Messianic Jewish synagogues are architecturally different from Jewish synagogues, the layout and objects in them are the same. In the synagogue, the Messianic Jewish rite is led by the religious leader they call the Messianic rabbi, but these rabbis did not grow up in Yeshiva as is accepted in traditional Judaism. The most striking aspect of Messianic Jewish worship is prayer, often accompanied by music and dance. For the Messianic Jews, the essence of prayer is to unite with Jesus and pray within him, through him. Jewish worship objects such as tallit and tsitsit are also used during the services.
The vast majority of Messianic Jews celebrate days considered sacred in traditional Judaism. However, the meaning of these holy days in Judaism was interpreted by Messianic Jews in connection with the beliefs of the Christian tradition. Also prayers and hymns especially about Jesus were added to the rituals performed on holy days. Thus, Jesus is placed at the center of every holy day.
