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The Garrett Tower VOLUME II Garrett Biblical Institute, Evanston, III., May, 1926 NUMBER 1 Exchange Lectures on ..ludaism By PROFESSOR SAMUEL COHON The Garrett Tower 1. NATURE OF JUDAISM THE common purpases of Judaism and Christianity are well known, Gaing back to. the history and literature of ancient Israel as their common source, they share many elements af doctrine, ethical idealism and even ceremonial observance. My task, in these lectures, will therefore, be limited to. the distinguishing characteristics of Judaism. The term Judaism appears to. have been coined during the Greek period in antithesis to. the name Hellenism. It denoted the religion of the Jewish people, their ideals, laws and customs. It repre-sented the spiritual fatherland . af the dispersed and fre-quently harassed peapJe. Whoever separated himself from it, ipso facto, ceased to. be a Jew. With the fall of the Ghetto, in consequence of the civic emancipation of the Jews in western lands, the unique atmosphere that preserved Jewish life was radi-cally changed. A division arose between religious loyalty and patriotism. Judaism signified far many religian pure and simple. On the other hand, the rising tide af nationalism led same Jews, who. may have fallen away from the reli-gian of their fathers, to. interpret Judaism as a national culture. The Zionist movement is largely the outgrowth of this view. A reconciliation of these extremes appears in the thinking of those, who, while cansidering Judaism as the many sided expression of the Jewish spirit, recognize religion as its dominant element. These canflicting conceptions have led to. a clearer understanding of Judaism in both its national and universal aspects. Even those who. see it as a religian anly admit that Judaism derives its individuality from its vital union with. the Jewish people. Unlike the ather autstanding systems of religian-Buddhism, Christianity and Mahammedanism-it centers not in any one great personality, but in the Jewish people, Judaism's holy days are commemorative of J ew-ish history rather than of occurrences in the life of any persanage like a Moses, Isaiah, ar Hillel. The inseparableconnection between . Judaism and the Jewish people can also. be seen in the domain af ethics. Bath Jewish and Christian ethics aim at absoluteness, inward-ness and universality. The sanctification af life in all of its relations constitutes their common goal. But Christian-ity, with aut overlooking sa-ciety, centers its attention primarily upon the individual and upon his salvation. Gad-likeness is manifested thraugh Jesus who Ioorns as the pattern of goodness and true life far all believers. In Judaism the 'center of gravity is the Jewish people, Without ignoring the individual and his moral and spiritual needs, it stresses the wellbeing of society as the chief aim of all en-deavor and rests its hope an the perfectibility of the human race. Hence Judaism emphasizes not grace alone, but grace graunded in righteousness. The Divine attribute of Mercy is inseparably associated with that of Justice. And yet Judaism is universal in its aims. Even as the individual founders of religion have not kept their truths far their own exclusive possession, so. Israel, the Servant of Gad of
Object Description
Title | Garrett Tower vol. 2 no. 1 1926 |
Volume | vol.2 no.1 |
Date | 1926 |
Institution | Garrett Biblical Institute |
Publisher | Garrett Biblical Institute |
Collection | Garrett Tower (Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary) |
Description | Published quarterly in the months of February, May, August,and November. Subscription price, sixty-five cents per year. one dollar for two years. Harris Franklin Rall, Editor. Includes: editorials, faculty and alumni information, Garrett happenings, and book reviews. Contents: Exchange Lectures on Judaism. The Sixty-ninth Annual Commencement. The Inter-Seminary Conference. |
Subject | Garrett Biblical Institute, Theology--Periodicals |
Bound With | Garrett Tower v.1-7 1925-32 |
Call number of physical item | BV4070.G31 v.1-7 1925-32 |
Type | Text |
Language | eng |
Rights | For permission to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise use this image, please contact The Styberg Library by phone (847)866-3909 or email styberg.library@garrett.edu |
Method of scan | HP Scanjet N6310 300ppi pdf with OCR |
Description
Title | garretttower_vol02_no01_1926 1 |
Collection | Garrett Tower (Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary) |
Transcript | The Garrett Tower VOLUME II Garrett Biblical Institute, Evanston, III., May, 1926 NUMBER 1 Exchange Lectures on ..ludaism By PROFESSOR SAMUEL COHON The Garrett Tower 1. NATURE OF JUDAISM THE common purpases of Judaism and Christianity are well known, Gaing back to. the history and literature of ancient Israel as their common source, they share many elements af doctrine, ethical idealism and even ceremonial observance. My task, in these lectures, will therefore, be limited to. the distinguishing characteristics of Judaism. The term Judaism appears to. have been coined during the Greek period in antithesis to. the name Hellenism. It denoted the religion of the Jewish people, their ideals, laws and customs. It repre-sented the spiritual fatherland . af the dispersed and fre-quently harassed peapJe. Whoever separated himself from it, ipso facto, ceased to. be a Jew. With the fall of the Ghetto, in consequence of the civic emancipation of the Jews in western lands, the unique atmosphere that preserved Jewish life was radi-cally changed. A division arose between religious loyalty and patriotism. Judaism signified far many religian pure and simple. On the other hand, the rising tide af nationalism led same Jews, who. may have fallen away from the reli-gian of their fathers, to. interpret Judaism as a national culture. The Zionist movement is largely the outgrowth of this view. A reconciliation of these extremes appears in the thinking of those, who, while cansidering Judaism as the many sided expression of the Jewish spirit, recognize religion as its dominant element. These canflicting conceptions have led to. a clearer understanding of Judaism in both its national and universal aspects. Even those who. see it as a religian anly admit that Judaism derives its individuality from its vital union with. the Jewish people. Unlike the ather autstanding systems of religian-Buddhism, Christianity and Mahammedanism-it centers not in any one great personality, but in the Jewish people, Judaism's holy days are commemorative of J ew-ish history rather than of occurrences in the life of any persanage like a Moses, Isaiah, ar Hillel. The inseparableconnection between . Judaism and the Jewish people can also. be seen in the domain af ethics. Bath Jewish and Christian ethics aim at absoluteness, inward-ness and universality. The sanctification af life in all of its relations constitutes their common goal. But Christian-ity, with aut overlooking sa-ciety, centers its attention primarily upon the individual and upon his salvation. Gad-likeness is manifested thraugh Jesus who Ioorns as the pattern of goodness and true life far all believers. In Judaism the 'center of gravity is the Jewish people, Without ignoring the individual and his moral and spiritual needs, it stresses the wellbeing of society as the chief aim of all en-deavor and rests its hope an the perfectibility of the human race. Hence Judaism emphasizes not grace alone, but grace graunded in righteousness. The Divine attribute of Mercy is inseparably associated with that of Justice. And yet Judaism is universal in its aims. Even as the individual founders of religion have not kept their truths far their own exclusive possession, so. Israel, the Servant of Gad of |