Forgotten Aspects of Liberal Jewish History

Classical Reform Judaism of the late 19th and early 20th century often engaged in controversial ideological polemics and attempts at reforming Judaism. Many of these reforms were attempts to make Judaism align with the American understanding of what religion should look like. In other words, attempts to make Judaism appear more like Protestant Christianity. One of these attempts was made by Rabbi Kaufmann Kohler, one of the most influential leaders of American Reform Judaism. In his book Guide for Instruction in Judaism, he lays out a “creed” in order for both Jews and gentiles to have a better understanding of what Reform Judaism teaches, while acknowledging that Judaism historically is non-creedal. He places his creed in the lineage of Maimonides and other Medieval rabbis who attempted to establish a unified belief system for Judaism.

Rabbi Alfred Geiger Moses in his 1916 edition of Jewish Science: Divine Healing in Judaism, quotes this creed as authoritative in order to contrast Jewish Science with Christian Science and prove the incompatibility of the two religious movements. Rabbi Moses was the first rabbi to advocate for the spiritual system he called Jewish Science, in large part to stem the tide of Jews then converting to Christian Science. One of the main arguments of Christian Scientists at the time was that a Jew could remain Jewish while also being a Christian Scientist. (An argument used to today by many evangelical Christians within the sect calling itself “Messianic Judaism.”) Rabbi Moses sought to prove that this claim was not true. He tried to demonstrate that the attractive elements of Christian Science came from Judaism via the Hebrew Bible, while other elements of Christian Science were explicitly anti-Jewish.

In fact, one of the more compelling arguments he makes in his chapter contrasting the two movements is that Jesus’s teachings regarding divine love and healing come directly from Moses (i.e. the Torah). Ergo, an intellectually consistent Christian Scientist should see Moses as the “way-shower” rather than Jesus. This is coupled with the idea of universalism. Mary Baker Eddy claimed in Science and Health that Judaism was a tribalistic religion, closed to gentiles. Rabbi Moses demonstrates that this is not the case, that Judaism is a universalist tradition, open to all human beings, especially within the Reform movement.

In short, according to Rabbi Moses, Christianity adds nothing of value to Judaism and actually adds much that is doctrinally incoherent, and therefore, Jews should seek spiritual fulfillment and Divine healing within Jewish Science rather than Christian Science. Rabbi Moses was engaging in apologetics to show that Judaism, specifically Reform Judaism, was superior to Christianity. He saw Jewish Science as a spirituality within Judaism, similar to Hasidism, rather than a distinct denomination.

The creed, reproduced below, is written in a faux Elizabethan English and uses gendered language to refer to God and humanity. While I agree with the general ideas contained here, I would alter some of the language. Please note that the salvation being referenced here is not salvation from hell, as Christians understand it, but salvation from injustice, oppression, and sin. Salvation in this context comes through righteous adherence to the moral law of God, not faith in a semi-divine savior.

1. We believe that there is One God, an only Being, Eternal, Spiritual and Most Holy, who created heaven and earth, and ruleth the world in perfect wisdom, with infinite justice, and everlasting love. He is our God, and there is none besides Him. Him we are bidden to love with all our heart, all our soul, and all our might; exclaiming: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.”

2. We believe that all men are children of God, endowed with a divine spirit, destined to share in eternal happiness by following His ways of righteousness.

3. We also believe that Israel, having been the first to recognize God, hath received a special revelation of His will, with the mission of being His chosen Priest among the nations, to lead them to truth and salvation.

4. We also believe that God ruleth and judgeth all men and nations in righteousness and love. By rewards and punishments, by joys and sufferings, he educateth and leadeth them to ever higher aims, until at last they shall arrive at the end of all time, when truth, justice, and peace shall unite mankind in the life of divine love, and eternal salvation, and God will be King and Father of all.