Messianic Jewish Theology
This article explores Messianic Jewish theology, the theological foundation and doctrinal basis for Messianic Judaism. Messianic Jews live as Jews whilst accepting Jesus (Yeshua) as Messiah and Lord, forming Messianic congregations and synagogues. Messianic Jewish theology refers to the emerging the...
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| Language: | English |
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St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology
2025-06-01
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| Series: | St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/MessianicJewishTheology |
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| author | Richard Harvey |
| author_facet | Richard Harvey |
| author_sort | Richard Harvey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores Messianic Jewish theology, the theological foundation and doctrinal basis for Messianic Judaism. Messianic Jews live as Jews whilst accepting Jesus (Yeshua) as Messiah and Lord, forming Messianic congregations and synagogues. Messianic Jewish theology refers to the emerging theological streams underlying the modern-day movement of Messianic Judaism, which is:
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)
The movement is found in Israel, the USA, Europe, and worldwide. Additionally, there are many thousands of Christians with Jewish backgrounds in mainstream churches who self-identify as ‘Messianic Jews’ or ‘Jewish disciples of Yeshua’.
This article offers a definition of Messianic Judaism and Messianic Jewish theology. It surveys the historical origins of Messianic Jewish theology in the early church, patristic, and medieval periods, and the nineteenth- and twentieth-century Hebrew Christian movement. It identifies the main theological streams in contemporary Messianic Judaism, outlining their assumptions, hermeneutics, methods, resources, and results on the nature of God and Yeshua, Torah, the identity of Israel, approaches to Jewish and Christian tradition, and daily life and practice. It surveys recent developments in post-supersessionist thought, ecclesiology, Jewish–Christian relations, and the missiology of Messianic Judaism. It highlights theological issues facing the movement, especially in soteriology, eschatology, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and the viability of the movement in the light of assimilation, secularization, and changes in Jewish communities and Jewish identities. It assesses the contribution of key theologians such as Mark Kinzer, Daniel Juster, Stuart Dauermann, David Rudolph, Lisa Loden, and Jennifer Rosner. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1e989124fded47748cd1b6223204066f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2753-3492 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology |
| spelling | doaj-art-1e989124fded47748cd1b6223204066f2025-08-20T03:31:37ZengSt Andrews Encyclopaedia of TheologySt Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology2753-34922025-06-01Messianic Jewish TheologyRichard Harveyhttps://orcid.org/0009-0005-3435-2770This article explores Messianic Jewish theology, the theological foundation and doctrinal basis for Messianic Judaism. Messianic Jews live as Jews whilst accepting Jesus (Yeshua) as Messiah and Lord, forming Messianic congregations and synagogues. Messianic Jewish theology refers to the emerging theological streams underlying the modern-day movement of Messianic Judaism, which is: 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) The movement is found in Israel, the USA, Europe, and worldwide. Additionally, there are many thousands of Christians with Jewish backgrounds in mainstream churches who self-identify as ‘Messianic Jews’ or ‘Jewish disciples of Yeshua’. This article offers a definition of Messianic Judaism and Messianic Jewish theology. It surveys the historical origins of Messianic Jewish theology in the early church, patristic, and medieval periods, and the nineteenth- and twentieth-century Hebrew Christian movement. It identifies the main theological streams in contemporary Messianic Judaism, outlining their assumptions, hermeneutics, methods, resources, and results on the nature of God and Yeshua, Torah, the identity of Israel, approaches to Jewish and Christian tradition, and daily life and practice. It surveys recent developments in post-supersessionist thought, ecclesiology, Jewish–Christian relations, and the missiology of Messianic Judaism. It highlights theological issues facing the movement, especially in soteriology, eschatology, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and the viability of the movement in the light of assimilation, secularization, and changes in Jewish communities and Jewish identities. It assesses the contribution of key theologians such as Mark Kinzer, Daniel Juster, Stuart Dauermann, David Rudolph, Lisa Loden, and Jennifer Rosner.https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/MessianicJewishTheologymessianic jewsmessianic judaismjewish–christian relationsecclesiologysupersessionismpost-supersessionismtorahjewsjudaismmissiology |
| spellingShingle | Richard Harvey Messianic Jewish Theology St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology messianic jews messianic judaism jewish–christian relations ecclesiology supersessionism post-supersessionism torah jews judaism missiology |
| title | Messianic Jewish Theology |
| title_full | Messianic Jewish Theology |
| title_fullStr | Messianic Jewish Theology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Messianic Jewish Theology |
| title_short | Messianic Jewish Theology |
| title_sort | messianic jewish theology |
| topic | messianic jews messianic judaism jewish–christian relations ecclesiology supersessionism post-supersessionism torah jews judaism missiology |
| url | https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/MessianicJewishTheology |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT richardharvey messianicjewishtheology |