Monday, January 28, 2008

FUNDAMENTALISM IN JUDAISM

Last time, we said, “The term “fundamentalism” often is used to

"characterize embattled forms of spirituality, which have merged as a response to a perceived crisis" - namely the fear that modernity will erode or even eradicate their faith and morality. . . [or] identify the most conservative wing of a religion. . . ,as a general-purpose "snarl" word to denigrate a religious group, implying that they are intolerant or prone to violence.”[2]

Rabbi Aron Moss[3] redefines fundamentalism for Judaism. He says, “A fundamentalist is someone who believes that theirs is the only true path, and anyone who does not follow their ways is evil. The fundamentalist sees only two options for the rest of humanity - join us or suffer the consequences. . . It is when you cannot accept that there may be another road to truth, that not everyone has to fit in to your own world view - that is when you have strayed into the realm of fundamentalism. . . Judaism can never tolerate fundamentalism. Quite simply, we don't believe that Judaism is for everyone. Jewish thought is comfortable with the belief that there are many paths to G-d; Judaism is the path for Jews, and non-Jews can find Him in different ways.” [4] But, Moss says, “A fundamentalist is not the same as an extremist.”

In his article, “Pursuing the Millennium,” David Hirst[5] asserts a different view, that Jewish fundamentalists in Israel, especially the settlers in the disputed lands taken in the 1967 war, are extremists. Although a minority within the nation, they have considerable influence within the government, and especially with the conservative leaders within the government. Hirst writes of a theoretical Jewish state which, if run by Jewish fundamentalists, would be governed by Jewish religious law. He describes religious police as enforcers of the laws, penalties (including stoning) for violations, etc. His article tries to tell us how frightened we should be of the Jewish extremists, the Zionists, whom he aligns with the fundamentalists.

And we should be concerned. Remember when in 1994 the Jewish gunman killed 29 worshippers in the mosque in Hebron? Remember when in 1995 the Jew assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin? Both killers seem to have been influenced by fundamentalist beliefs. Still: Believing in religious fundamentals is quite different from acting in an extreme and violent way.

Wikipedia, the on-line encyclopedia, uses the term “fundamentalist” to define groups “characterized by a sense of embattled alienation in the midst of the surrounding culture.” This definition resembles Karen Armstrong’s perspective. Also, fundamentalists hold that their religious texts are “infallible and historically accurate . . . Orthodox Judaism is characterized by a fervent belief in the divine origin of the Torah (i.e., that the five books of Moses were literally given by God to Moses). Most Orthodox rabbis describe the Torah as literally being one long quote from God himself.” [6] Well, maybe not all Orthodox Jews hold this belief. Moreover, most people within Reform Judaism and Conservative Judaism more likely believe that the Rabinical interpretations (Talmud) – perhaps divinely inspired but not divinely given – are critical to their understanding and applying the laws of the Torah.

Rabbi Moss asks us all – fundamentalist or not, Jew or not - for tolerance and acceptance. He says, “Judaism poses a challenge to the fundamentalist: If you really love G-d so much, shouldn't you also love all His children, who are created in His image?”[7] Now, what was it that Jesus taught?



[1]This is one of a series of occasional columns in which the author, raised in the Christian tradition, searches for common ground and common history among the teachings, beliefs and practices of adherents of the Abrahamic faiths -- Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

[3] Rabbi Aron Moss teaches Kabbalah, Talmud and practical Judaism in Sydney, Australia.

[7] Op. cit.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Fundamentalism

We often read in our newspapers, or see reports on our televisions, of religious “fundamentalists” doing some or another awful thing. What does “fundamentalist” mean in today’s common usage?

“One of the most controversial religious terms in North America is "fundamentalist." Within academic circles, the term is generally used in a precise manner. For example, Author Karen Armstrong defines fundamentalist movements as "embattled forms of spirituality, which have merged as a response to a perceived crisis" - namely the fear that modernity will erode or even eradicate their faith and morality. That concern is shared by Fundamentalist Christians, Jews, and Muslims, Sikhs, and others. Within Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other faiths, the media generally use the term to refer to the most conservative wing of the religion. For example, fundamentalist Christianity is often described as the most conservative wing of Evangelicalism. However, sometimes the term is used as a general-purpose "snarl" word which is intended to denigrate a religious group, implying that they are intolerant or prone to violence.”[2]

Fundamentalists believe that “...the words of the holy book of their religion are the exact truth and are not open to different interpretations.” They are quite strict about just what must be believed. For example, according to the 12 pamphlets issued as the “Fundamentals of the Faith” between 1915 and 1920, all Christians must believe in (1) the infallibility of the Bible; (2) the sinfulness of humanity; (3) the virgin birth of Jesus; and (4) salvation through Jesus’ death.[3]

According to the same source, [4] the term “fundamentalism” was invented in 1920 by Curtis Lee Lewis, an American preacher. He was describing the “anti-modern” movement of the American Protestants during the late 1800s. Christian fundamentalism, an American phenomenon, may have begun with the so-called First Great Awakening (1730 to 1780, approximately), which stressed how humans could not achieve salvation without God’s intervention. The Second Great Awakening in the early 1800’s centered on the “born again” option of achieving salvation through the acceptance of Jesus as a personal savior. The “millennium” movement (mid-1800’s) focused on the second coming of Christ, which would be followed by 1,000 years of peace.

As Karen Armstrong asserts, these movements may have been reactions to perceived threats to the church. America was changing – modernity was advancing. As the Industrial Revolution proceeded in this country, Protestantism lost traction. Population centers changed from small rural areas (which had often centered on churches) to larger cities, places with less focus on a church. Moreover, America welcomed more and more immigrants who brought their religions with them, and these were often not the protestant faiths of the founders, but more likely Roman Catholic and Orthodox religions, and Judaism, and Islam.

During the 1950’s, Christian fundamentalism strengthened in reaction to “Godless communism.” About the same time, evangelical Christians, led by Billy Graham, began to oppose some of the social consciousness movements of the 1960’s: the anti-war movement, the women’s movement; gender equity; and liberalizing views of homosexuality. Evangelicals worked with non-protestant conservatives under the rubric of “family values.” As it evolved, this larger group of evangelicals and conservatives spoke out in favor of lower taxes, more defense spending and less support for welfare. By the late 1970’s, Jerry Falwell’s “Moral Majority” was encouraging conservatives of all kinds to join together. They helped elect a conservative government in 1980, but they were soon replaced by the Christian Coalition, whose leader, Pat Robertson, lost a bid for the Presidency.

Christians aren’t the only ones. Next time, we’ll explore a bit about Judaism’s and Islam’s fundamentalists.



[1]This is one of a series of occasional columns in which the author, raised in the Christian tradition, searches for common ground and common history among the teachings, beliefs and practices of adherents of the Abrahamic faiths -- Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

[3] Woolf, Alex, FUNDAMENTALISM. Chicago, IL: Raintree 2004, p. 5

[4],Ibid., p.4