Christian mission to Jews

Christian mission to Jews, evangelism among Jews, or proselytism to Jews, is a subset of Christian mission activity aimed specifically at Jews.

History

Early Christianity

Christian proselytism soon divides into the mission of Peter "to the Jews" and the mission of Paul "to the Gentiles."[1]

An important 2nd century source is the Dialogue with Trypho of Justin Martyr (c.140) which may be partially fictionalized, and "Trypho" may be a cypher for rabbi Tarfon but otherwise shows a level playing field and mutual respect as each participant appeals to the other.[2]

After Constantine

From Constantine I, when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire, the position of Christians to Jews changed. Some laws were instituted which protected the rights of Jewish converts from disinheritance, other laws also protected from abuse of the privileges of conversion from those who converted from Judaism "only for a cancellation of debt;" which suggests that in some areas of the empire local incentives to conversion existed.[3] Accounts of conversion itself are not mentioned in rabbinical sources and are not frequent in Christian sources - excepting Epiphanius of Salamis' account of the conversion of Count Joseph of Tiberias, and Sozomen's accounts of Jewish conversions in Constantinople.[4]

Medieval

During the medieval period conversions in Christian ruled lands were often conducted by force, such as in the case of the Alhambra Decree of 1492 leading to the conversos, those converted by force, and Marranos. In Muslim lands dialogue between Jews and Christians was more equal, and Jewish apologists were able to refute Christians openly. In Christian lands those such as Hasdai Crescas (c.1340–1411) could only write refutations of Christian belief at great risk.

After the Reformation

The Reformation in Europe did not immediately give rise to increased proselytism to Jews, in part due to Luther's antisemitism and Calvin's indifference.[5]

18th and 19th centuries

In 1809 Joseph Frey (born Joseph Levi) founded the London Society for promoting Christianity amongst the Jews after disagreements with the generic London Missionary Society. This was later renamed the London Jews' Society and then the Church's Ministry Among Jewish People. Among their missionaries was the grammarian C. W. H. Pauli (born Zebi Nasi Hirsch Prinz). After Frey's group, which was largely led by converted Jews, the generic missionary organisations also attempted more culturally sensitive efforts and in 1841 the Church of Scotland appointed a Gentile missionary, John Duncan to the Jews of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to be based in Budapest.[6] At the same time "John Nicolayson" (the Dane Hans Nicolajsen), bishop Michael Solomon Alexander, and other missionaries were sent to Palestine.[7] Responses came such as Louis Stern's Anti-Jewish Conversionist Society of Birmingham.[8][9]

20th and 21st centuries

Jews for Jesus was founded in 1973 by Moishe Rosen. It was soon expelled from the American Board of Missions to the Jews, and Messianic Judaism was condemned by the Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews in 1975.

Jewish responses

Initial Jewish responses to Christian activity are seen in reports (through Christian eyes) of the response of the priestly authorities in the Book of Acts, through mentions of Jesus in the Talmud, then in rabbinical texts, as documented by Steven T. Katz in The Rabbinic Response to Christianity (2006).[10]

During the Middle Ages rabbinical scholars combatted missionary activity with works such as Ibn Shaprut's Touchstone. In modern times, for example in response to Rosen's group, Jews for Judaism and other groups were founded.

References

  1. ↑ Antiquity in antiquity: Jewish and Christian pasts 2008 p199 ed. Gregg Gardner, Kevin Lee Osterloh - 2008 "Although the activities of the two are paralleled, Paul is celebrated as the apostle responsible for Christianity's worldwide spread, while Peter is associated with the early mission to the Jews"
  2. ↑ Anti-Judaism in Early Christianity: Separation and polemic ed. Peter Richardson, David M. Granskou, Stephen G. Wilson 1986 p75 "Still, Justin's respect for his learned opponent is apparent throughout the Dialogue, and he is willing to give Trypho the benefit of the doubt on his motivations (65. 2-3)."
  3. ↑ Stemberger
  4. ↑ Günter Stemberger Jews and Christians in the Holy Land: Palestine in the fourth century 2000 "For example, Sozomen reports that in Constantinople (under Constantine?) countless Jews also converted to Christianity.92 The question remains to what extent it could still be expected of Jewish converts of this period that they should join a Jewish Christian congregation. Would they not rather attempt to make a radical break with their past? The Judaizers mentioned again and again, for example, in Jerome, are not automatically Jewish Christians."
  5. ↑ Dr. Edward Kessler, Neil Wenborn A dictionary of Jewish-Christian relations p298 2005 "John Calvin did not consider mission to Jews an urgent priority in his early ministry, partly because he worked in an area with few Jews."
  6. ↑ Missionary register Church Missionary Society - 1841 "Dr. Duncan, the first Missionary to the Jews appointed by the Committee, will proceed in a few months, with two Missionary Students, to Pest, in Hungary"
  7. ↑ Yaron Perry British mission to the Jews in nineteenth-century Palestine 2003 p22 "STRIKING ROOT A new era dawned in the history of the London Society in Palestine with the arrival of John Nicolayson (his original name was Hans Nicolajsen).".
  8. ↑ The Church of England Magazine 1872 "A discussion was subsequently arranged to be held at the Anti-Jewish Conversionist Society's rooms, between Mr. Wolkenborg and Mr. Louis Stern, president of that society. The debate was fixed for Wednesday, February 7th.
  9. ↑ The Colonial church chronicle, missionary journal, and foreign ...: Volume 26 According to the Jewish Chronicle, an " Anti-Jewish Conversionist Society " has been established, with its headquarters in Birmingham, for the purpose of opposing the " Society for the Conversion of the Jews.
  10. ↑ p259 onwards, chapter 11 of The Cambridge History of Judaism Vol.4: The late Roman-Rabbinic period ed. William David Davies, Louis Finkelstein, Steven T. Katz.

External links

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