Introduces and explores the diverse new religious movement known as “Messianic Judaism,” that combines Jewish traditions with the belief that Jesus Christ is the Jewish Messiah. Through select readings and discussion, students will understand the beliefs of the Messianic Jewish community and the theological challenges, questions and issues with which Messianic Jews grapple. Students will gain an understanding of ways in which faith in Jesus Christ can flourish, in which missional churches may be planted, and Christians may establish relational rapport in Jewish contexts.
Many students have studied the Old Testament and are aware of historic and contemporary Judaism. Few, however, are familiiar with the religious movement of Messianic Judaism. This course will challenge the student to understand a vibrant contemporary movement that has effectively reached many Jews for Christ, and to better understand the continuties and discontinuities of the Old and New Testaments.
Most of the information usually avaialable about Messianic Judaism is from the movement's own materials. This course offers the student the opportunity to explore the movement within the academic and missional worldview, having the opportunity to examine it Biblically, contextually, missionally.
The course is grounded in both Testaments and helps the student understand a movement which sees itself as being most faithful to the entire Scripture in its theology and practice.
The Messianic movement is intimately connected with outreach to Jewish people. The course, therefore, will have missions as a primary component.,
The Messianic movement is essentially a contextual movement.
Although the Messianic movement is primarily about the Christian practice of converted Jews, the movement reaches into Jewish communities all over the world and also has an appeal to many Gentiles from across the globel
The course will equip the student to better understand, evaluate,k and work within a missional movement
The course will expose the student to the actual beliefs, life, and practices of the Messianic movement.
