Rabbenu
A Discussion of Messianic Judaism, the Emerging Messianic Jewish Paradigm, and Related Leadership Issues from the Preoccupied Mind of Rabbi Stuart Dauermann, PhD.
All Contents ©2004-2007 Stuart Dauermann - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Is Torah Obedience a Contemptible Yoke? The Legacy of Cryptosupersessionism
On my website Rabbenu.org, I have posted a brief essay exploring what I term "cryptosupersessionism." I say there that we have inherited a submerged and entrenched cluster of presuppositions which assume the expiration of that status and those status markers which formerly pertained to the Jewish people. I also indicate that this inherited bias must be repudiated if we would walk in faithfulness to God and in solidarity with our people.
What biases about the status of Jewish religion and the theological status of the Jewish people do you recognize cling to you and your circles?
posted by Stuart Dauermann @ 7:56 AM
4 comments
Hi Stuart:
In answer to your question:
I once coined the term "Neo supercessionism" in jest ( I really dont have the expertise to understand how these terms are used by the pros) to describe a phenomenon I see in circles close to me.
I note that many Messianic Jews and some Christians feel themselves qualified to rule on a variety of areas pertaining to Jewish life. They appear to believe that they have received divine wisdom that was denied to the sages in areas ranging from liturgy to "whos's a Jew?" to the proper dates of festivals.
It almost appears as if some believe as if the verbal declaration of faith in Yeshuah has made a superior class of Jew. Is that what the gospel was meant to engender? Would a little humility hurt?
L'Shana Tova
Menachem,
You are touching on an issue which I will be writing about before long, what I term "theological humility," or more precisely, the conspicuous lack thereof.
My position and opinions on the matter dovetail with yours, in that I not only see so many conservative Yeshua believers being dogmatic about matters requiring more diffidence, they also rwquire that anyone whom they would trust and not denounce manifest the same level of dogmatism. And, true to form, when that dogmatism is not evident, they denounce such people as "liberal," "dangerous," or "heretical." Lovely.
It is a strange and irksome phenomenon, and deeply entrenchd. Much is lost by its not being exposed ny others and forsaken by the perpetrators. I plan on doing something about the former, but, only God knows how successful I might be.
L'shana Tovah to you as well.
Stuart
Hi.
Just found your blog.I understand what you are saying, but a problem I see is that the most broad and normative interpretations of Torah practice today would include not worshiping a man (Yeshua) as G-d. So to do that would mean that you are breaking Torah, right?
Cindy,
You are going with a meat axe at an issue requiring a scalpel. FIrst of all, we don't worship a man as God--we DO believe that God expressed Himself in human form ("the Word"--that is, the expression of God's nature--"became flesh and dwelt among us") in Yeshua in a unique manner. And even if most versions of contemporary Judaism discount or disallow this, we DO believe that the Torah supports what we hold to be true.
We are breaking some people's interpretation of Torah, but, obvioulsy, in our view, not Torah itself.
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