Middle Eastern Family
JUDAISM
The history of the Jewish people is found in the Torah, Prophets, and
Writings, which together comprise what Christians call the Old Testament. A
second great body of writings, the Talmud, begun as an exegetical commentary on
Scripture, and including other religious wisdom, was written over the period of
a millennium following the time of exile.
Jewish beliefs center on the Exodus. It was this event which called the
community together and it is from this event that the community draws its life.
Beliefs and morals, ritual and custom, all are derived from the covenant made
at Sinai. Central to these beliefs is the Shema, which is repeated in the
morning and evening synagogue service: "Hear O Israel, the Lord Our God is
One Lord" (Deut. 6:4).
On a number of occasions attempts to summarize Jewish belief have been made.
Many of these began with the twelfth century creed authored by Moses
Maimonides, the most acceptable traditional summary of Jewish belief. In 13
statements, Maimonides affirmed belief in one God who is incorporeal and
eternal, the only object of true prayer. The biblical Moses is cited as the
greatest prophet due to his reception of God's law which will never be changed
or outmoded. God acts in history to punish evildoers and reward the just. At some
point in the future a Messiah will come. Also, there will be a resurrection
from the dead.
As the Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist branches of Judaism have
arisen, they each have produced statements summarizing their disagreements with
traditional orthodoxy and setting forth their distinctive teachings.
Basic to Judaism is the concept of Torah. Narrowly, Torah is the collective
name for the first five books of the Old Testament. More broadly, however,
Torah is a way of life and faith based on living out the Covenant with God. The
individual rules and dictates of the Law are important not only for themselves,
but as signs of faithfulness to the unique relationship of the Covenant.
Also important to Judaism are the five great feasts. Passover, in early
spring, is a commemoration of the Exodus experience. Pentecost, in late May or
early June, honors the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses. The Feast of
Tabernacles marks the Jewish wanderings in the desert (Exodus 23:14, 34:23).
The Feast of Lights of Hanukkah celebrates the purification of the Temple in
164 B.C. by the Maccabees after its defilement by Antiochus Epiphanes, a Syrian
ruler. Purim honors the rescue of the Jewish people by Mordecai and the
heroine, Esther.
The important days in the Jewish calendar begin with Rosh Hashana, New
Year's Day, which is followed by 10 days of penitence. This period culminates
in the single most important day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement.
The basic organization of Judaism is the congregation or synagogue, which
may be constituted wherever there are 10 males. This is the basic governing
body in Judaism, which is congregationally structured. The synagogue has as its
pastor a rabbi (teacher). The congregation usually sponsors a school for its
children. The school may be conducted only one day a week for several hours to
give minimum preparation for Bar Mitzvah, the coming of age ceremony for Jewish
youth, but ideally, the synagogue would have a total educational system to meet
both secular and religious needs.
Several forms or types of Judaism exist in America. The main organizations
were formed around the well-known distinctions of Orthodox, Conservative,
Reform and, more recently, Reconstructionist Judaism. Less well known was the
development of the Hasidic community in Brooklyn after World War I. This
community was small until 1946, when large migrations of survivors of the
Holocaust began. The Hasidim, at one time nearly half of European Jewry, now
appear to be remaking the Jewish community as it grows, both by evangelistic
efforts and a high birth rate.
HASIDISM
Hasidism is a Kabbalistic Judaism. Hasidic teachings are plainly Orthodox
but also mystical. The Kabbalah (a magical system) provided a framework for
mystic integration of the Bible. The virtues of humility, joy, and enthusiasm
were emphasized. The movement spread rapidly in the 1700s and, at its height,
attracted about half the Jews in Europe, particularly those in Poland and the
Slavic countries.
Organizationally, the movement began to focus on local charismatic leaders
called the zaddikim, or righteous ones. Unlike the rabbi, or teacher, known for
his scholarship and wisdom, the zaddik, who might also be a rabbi, was honored
for his mystic powersómiracle
working, shamanism, and personal magnetism. Organizationally, zaddikim came to
lead segments of the movement and created dynasties by passing on the charisma
to sons or followers. Thus schools or additional sects were formed.
The Hasidic movement aroused hostility from other Jews. Eventually, Hasidism
was forced to retreat. The twentieth century brought new problems as pogroms
began in Russia and many Hasidim migrated to other countries in Europe. The
Holocaust later all but wiped out European Hasidism. After World War II, led by
the Lubavicher Rebbe, Hasidic zaddikim, especially from Poland and Hungary,
came to the United States after escaping from Hitler.
The Hasidic Jews usually emphasize tradition, social service, celebration,
and communal life. In the Detroit area, the Lubavich community often visits
hospitalized Jews, encouraging observance of the Law. More broadly, their
mission has been stated as reaching out “to any Jew who finds himself in
trouble.” That aid includes financial and other types of practical support.
ISLAM
Islam is centered upon the proclamation "There is but one God and
Muhammed (or Mohammed) is His Apostle." The word “Islam” means
“submission” to Allah, the God of Muslim faith. Islam dates from 622, when
Muhammed went from Mecca to Medina in Saudi Arabia. The Hegira marked the
change in Muhammed from the role of itinerant preacher to head of a definite
and distinct community of faith.
Allah is seen as the transcendent Being, creator and sustainer of the
universe. He is the law-giver, the arbiter of good and evil, and the judge at
the end-time. Existing with God are his angelic messengers. Chief among these
is Gabriel, who communicated the Quran to Muhammed. The angels are opposed by
the satans or devils. The Quran is the written revelation of God given to
Muhammed at different times during his life. It is to be distinguished from
Muhammed's teachings, which are based on the Quran and are the prime tool for
understanding it.
Muhammed is seen at the last of 29 prophets, beginning with Adam and
including John the Baptist and Jesus. The judgment is the time when the trumpet
will sound and all will be called to account. Paradise and hell wait to receive
the just and the damned.
The law of Allah is a central concept, and the ideal model for all human activity and society. There are five central observances in Islam (The Five Pillars):
· Prayer five times each day;
· Giving alms to the poor;
· Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan;
· A pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during your lifetime;
· Living the way of God.
In addition there are prohibitions against such
things as eating pork and usury.
There are several major groups in Islam. The
largest group are the Sunni and the second major group are the Shi’a Muslims, who
disagreed about succession after the death of Muhammed. There are many
additional sects called the Sufi.
In the United States there are a number of
groups that consider themselves, and have named themselves, “Black Muslims,”
but I am unclear on how much of their theology falls within the Islamic
mainstream. It is clear that it is a means of expressing a desire for black
nationalism.
SUFISM
The word "Sufism" is used to describe
a wide variety of mystical Islamic groups. It is unclear where the term “Sufi”
comes from but it may arise from the distinctive woolen clothes worn by
different groups.
The Sufi became a popular movement that
developed its own customs including the recitation and meditation on the Quran
by congregations. There was a seeking for an ecstatic experience as a way of
knowing God, similar to the orientation of the Christian Pentecostals.
Charismatic Sufi leaders were called the shaikhs
and they were regarded as saints after they died by the groups that they had
formed. Many of these leaders, in opposition to the Quran, were celibate. After
death some followers would often then begin new splinter groups.
Sufism appeared to incorporate not only Islamic
but Christian and Gnostic elements. There is a distinct gnostic dualism
including a “subgod” who is the true creator of the material world. The
emotions of fear and love have both been important, with a focus at first on
the fear of hell and later on loving God.
At times Sufi groups appeared to exist as
fellowships within the larger, traditional Islamic community. In their home
country a group may wear distinctive clothing as a sign of the their
identification.
BAHA'I
WORLD FAITH
The Baha'i World Faith began in Iran in the
mid-nineteenth century. Siyyad Ali Muhammad of Shiraz (1819-1850) presented
himself as a prophet who declared himself the Bab (the Gate) through whom
people would know about the coming of another messenger of God. His
proclamations were done within a context of Islamic expectation of the Madhi,
the successor of the previous Messenger, Muhammed, the founder of Islam. The
Bab began his prophetic work in 1844, but, after gaining a large following,
encountered the opposition of the country's Muslim leaders. He was repeatedly
imprisoned by the rulers of various countries.
One of the Bab's followers was Mirza Husayn-Ali (1817-92). During a time of the Bab’s imprisonment his follower assumed the title “Baha” and later concluded that he was in fact the Mahdi.
In 1863 he announced his identity to the world
in a group of letters, called “tablets” sent to various world leaders. From
1868 on he was banished to Palestine and he wrote various books which are now
considered Scripture.
Under the Baha’s son and nephew the movement
spread to include the United States. Various temporary sects and schisms have
occurred, but these eventually died out.
It is felt that all religions are essentially
one and that all great prophets have taught the same religion. There are
considered to be 11 principles of the Baha’i Faith:
· The independent investigation of truth;
· The oneness of the human race;
· Religions should be the cause of love and affection;
· The conformity of religion to science and reason;
· The abolition of religious, racial, political, and patriotic prejudice;
· Equal opportunity to the means of existence;
· The equality of person before the law;
· Universal peace;
· The noninterference of religion in politics;
· The equality of the sexes;
· The power of the Holy Spirit as the means of spiritual development.
Page was last updated on 08/14/00