The Conversion of Non-Jews to Messianic Judaism: A Test-Case of Membership and Identity in a New Religious Movement

Dr. Richard Harvey, UKwww.mmjt.eu

richardsharvey@gmail.com

Dan Cohn-Sherbok’s paradox

“Paradoxically, however, Messianic Judaism has not formulated a process of conversion, and such reluctance has contributed to its isolation from the Jewish community as a whole.”

Definition of Terms

• Jew – matrilineal and partrilineal descent, or through conversion

• Messianic Jew – believer in Yeshua as Messiah

• Messianic Judaism – UMJC definition to follow

Pew Survey Methodology• Does not use only

Halachic or Reform definitions

• NET Jew = ‘practice of Jewish religion’ & ‘no religion’

“Net Jews” and “Non-Jews”

• Pew excludes ‘practice of another religion’ from “Net Jews” but

• Includes in survey data

• “non-Jews of Jewish background (NJOJB)” and

• “non-Jews of Jewish affinity” (NJOJA)

Jews by Religion (2786)54%

Jews of no religion

(689)13%

Non-Jews of Jewish

background (1190)23%

Non-Jews of Jewish Affinity (467)

9%

5132 completed interviews

Jews in the Pew (Survey)• USA adult Jewish population

estimates between • JBR – 4.2 million• JONR – 1.2 million• Subtotal “JEWS” 5.3 m• PLUS…• NJOJB – 2.5 m (7.8m)• NJOJA – 1.2 m• TOTAL “Possible Jews” • 9 million• Plus children – 11.9 m

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/10/01/jewish-population-calculator/

Can you be Jewish and believe in Yeshua?• 34% say “yes”

• Net figure 34%• All – 55%

Conversion to Judaism• 212,000 (4%) NET

Jews did not have a Jewish parent

• 106,000 (2%) ‘formally converted’

• 54,000 (1%) did not convert (?)

DellaPergola’s estimates (2011)

• In the United States, the 2001 AJIS estimated 170,000 converts of 5.2m ‘core Jews’ = 3% (Mayer, Kosmin, Keysar, 2003)

• Number of non-Jews in the U.S. who have Jewish ancestors approaches 1,500,000, mostly the children of intermarriages.

Israeli Giyyur• 312,800 immigrants not

registered as Jewish (2010)• 30,000 Christian• Increasing gap between

enlarged Jewish community and number of conversions

• 1999-2008, 48,098• 22,700 converts 2000-2004• 7.881 in 2007• 1,500 in 2009

What is Messianic Judaism?

• A Jewish form of Christianity

• A Christian form of Judaism

• 150,000 (?) worldwide• 300+ Messianic

Congregations• Jewish identity, faith

and practice in light of Messiah

Definition of Messianic Judaism

“a movement of Jewish congregations and groups committed to Yeshua the Messiah that embrace the covenantal responsibility of Jewish life and identity rooted in Torah, expressed in tradition, and renewed and applied in the context of the New Covenant.” (UMJC, 2005)

What is Messianic Jewish Theology?“Messianic Jewish theology is disciplined reflection about God’s character, will, and works, and about God’s relationship to Israel, the Nations, and all creation, in the light of God’s irrevocable election of Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, and God’s creative, revelatory, and redemptive work in Messiah Yeshua.” (Kinzer 2005:1)

Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology

• Constructed in dialogue with Judaism and Christianity

• Refined in discussion between reflective practitioners engaged with Messianic Judaism

• Developed into a new theological tradition

• Based on the twin epistemic priorities of the continuing election of the Jewish people and the recognition of Jesus as the risen Messiah and incarnate Son of God. (Harvey 2008: 282)

Conversion to Judaism or Messianic Judaism?

• Nichol’s reply ‘So, when the hospital attendant asks one of our converts, "what is your religion?" The natural and appropriate answer is, "Judaism”’ • Harvey’s clarification“within a Messianic Jewish frame of reference which assumes, accepts and indeed requires faith in Yeshua as Messiah”

Estimated numbers

• Israel – 10,000?–Kjaer-Hansen’s 4,785–Cohen’s estimates

• USA – 100,000?–Kosmin’s caveat

emptor (20-30,000)• Europe – 25,000?

Non-Jews in Messianic Congregations

• Rudolph’s 3rd generation• Juster’s ‘new

reality’• Glaser’s ‘growing

discussion’• ‘non-issue’ in

Israel?

Christians of Jewish Background and Affinity

• 70% of NJOJB identify as “Christian”

• 64% of NJOJA identify as “Christian”

• Total – 1132 of 5,132 respondents

• Corresponds to 22% of 8 million

• = 1.7m

Both Jewish and Christian by Religion• JBOAR (2.4M)– Christian 1.6m– Christian and Jewish

100,000– Messianic (2%) = 48,000

• JAOAR (1.2)– Christian 800,000– Christian and Jewish

100,00– Messianic (3%) – 36,000

• Total 2.6m • Messianics – 84,000 (5%)

Discussion within the Messianic Movement

• UMJC 1983 decision (90% against, 10% for)

• MJRC 2004 conversion process (26 leaders)

• Kesher Issue 19/2005– Rich Nichol– Michael Wolf– Jeffrey Feinberg– Kaye Silberling– Dan Cohn-Sherbok– Douglas Harink

Nichol’s proposal• Limited availability• Undergirded by halachic

standards• Elevates Messianic

Judaism• Grounded in:• Bilateral ecclesiology

(Kinzer)• Post-supersessionist

theology (Soulen)• Recognizes ongoing role

of nations alongside election of Israel (Wyschogrod)

Michael Wolf’s response

• Contrary to the principles and practice outlined in Scripture

• Will be seen as the ultimate deception

• Proves extremely divisive, splitting the congregation

• God does not change, scripture does not change, we will not change

Rudolph’s response

• David Rudolph on Shaye Cohen’s understanding of Timothy’s bris (Acts 16:3)

• Paul’s halachic prohibtion – and exceptions

New Perspective(s) on Paul• E.P. Sanders, J. Dunn, N.T.

Wright, W. Campbell• Pharisaic Judaism not

‘legalism’• Paul continued Torah

observance and expected Jewish believers to do so

• Justification theory a re-reading of Pauline doctrine

• Paul’s expectation on the nations

• Radical new perspectives – Boyarin, Zetterholm, Eisenbraun, Nanos

Kaye Silberling’s ‘stormy sea’

• “It may actually increase the converts’ social anxiety by heightening their sense of marginality vis-à-vis some perceived, monolithic, ontologically Jewish world that is, instead, a social construct and hence intangible and fluid.”

Case Studies• Hannah - “not really

Christian any more, not Jewish”

• Baruch - “moving in a direction towards Judaism without giving up on Jesus”

• Chava – “Messianic proselyte at marriage”

• Sarah – “conversion for all gentiles”

commitment

context

consequences

interaction

encounter

quest

crisis

Understanding Religious Conversion – Lewis R. Rambo, 1995

commitment

context

consequences

interaction

encounter

quest

crisis

Instruction Programs

• MJRC - preliminary qualification, application, sponsorship, education, examination and approval, conversion ceremony, educational guidelines, required syllabus, application forms, etc.

Daniel Juster’s “Ruth II Commitment”

• Life-time commitment• Of a Gentile who has

committed themselves• To be part of Messianic

movement and of Jewish people

• Not a “conversion”• MJM does yet have

sufficient halachic authority to oversee conversions

Union of British Messianic Synagogues

• 1 year conversion program• All Gentiles should convert• Leaders are self-converted

non-Jews• “Despite the rhetoric and

well-meaning theology, those who are not born Jewish will always feel, sense themselves to be inferior to those born Jewish if this kind of racial divide is maintained”

Questionnaire Analysis

• 59 responses from 500 surveys sent– 27 USA, – 5 France, Brazil,

Germany, Holland, – 19 Israel– 8 UK

• 6 non-Jews, 3 MJCs• 7 women, 10 emerging

leaders

Personal views on MJC

To what extent are you in favour of MJC?

Two Additional Positions

• Jewish and Messianic Jewish by adoption without ‘conversion’

• Messianic Jewish by being an Israeli believer

Constructing Messianic Jewish Identity

Summary and Conclusions• UMJC’s de facto recognition

of non-recognised conversions

• 95% of Messianic movement does not practice conversion

• Social identity theory – Gentiles converting to MJ still seen as non-Jews by non-MJ, but see themselves as Jews.

• MJ still defining itself as both a “Judaism” and a “Christianity”

The Conversion of Non-Jews to Messianic Judaism: A Test-Case of Membership and Identity in a New Religious Movement

Dr. Richard Harvey, UKwww.mmjt.eu

richardsharvey@gmail.com