Jon, by the time Jesus came on the scene, influences within Judaism, along with Hellenism to some degree, had Jews talking about something like "a second person" that was somehow divine or connected to the LORD in some divine fashion. This discussion was going on for +/- a century before and after Jesus. Not only N.T. Wright and other Pr…
Jon, by the time Jesus came on the scene, influences within Judaism, along with Hellenism to some degree, had Jews talking about something like "a second person" that was somehow divine or connected to the LORD in some divine fashion. This discussion was going on for +/- a century before and after Jesus. Not only N.T. Wright and other Protestants have called attention to this, but Jewish scholars as well. Also, there is good academic work at the site marquette.edu/maqom/ (Jewish Roots of Eastern Christian Mysticism) regarding this. That site was started and compiled by a post-grad studying under +Alexander (Golitzin) when he was a professor at Marquette. It has been updated in the intervening years with whatever "the latest" on the subject has been published. Not all the authors are Christians, but it is all rigorous research. Jewish thought had space to entertain the idea of something like "the trinity".
As Fr Tom Hopko has said, he has asked Jewish scholars if, on the basis of their understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures, God could ever be without his Word or his Spirit. Evidently, he never received a "yes" to that question.
True. And that stance, from what I understand, developed as basically a move by the Masoretes away from what was going on in Jesus' day. Where the Jews are now also has a history.
Rodney Stark advanced a hypothesis that a large number of Diasporan Jews converted to Christianity, leaving behind the stricter, more pharisaical Judean Jews.
The book of Wisdom, echoing Proverbs before it, speaks of Wisdom almost as a second Person, having existed with God the Father from the beginning, much like the Logos in John 1. It was not for nothing that Justinian named his magnificent cathedral Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom).
Jon, by the time Jesus came on the scene, influences within Judaism, along with Hellenism to some degree, had Jews talking about something like "a second person" that was somehow divine or connected to the LORD in some divine fashion. This discussion was going on for +/- a century before and after Jesus. Not only N.T. Wright and other Protestants have called attention to this, but Jewish scholars as well. Also, there is good academic work at the site marquette.edu/maqom/ (Jewish Roots of Eastern Christian Mysticism) regarding this. That site was started and compiled by a post-grad studying under +Alexander (Golitzin) when he was a professor at Marquette. It has been updated in the intervening years with whatever "the latest" on the subject has been published. Not all the authors are Christians, but it is all rigorous research. Jewish thought had space to entertain the idea of something like "the trinity".
As Fr Tom Hopko has said, he has asked Jewish scholars if, on the basis of their understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures, God could ever be without his Word or his Spirit. Evidently, he never received a "yes" to that question.
Dana
I am referring to modern, msinstream Judaism, which most certainly does not recognize Jesus as divine, or a Trinity.
True. And that stance, from what I understand, developed as basically a move by the Masoretes away from what was going on in Jesus' day. Where the Jews are now also has a history.
Dana
Rodney Stark advanced a hypothesis that a large number of Diasporan Jews converted to Christianity, leaving behind the stricter, more pharisaical Judean Jews.
The book of Wisdom, echoing Proverbs before it, speaks of Wisdom almost as a second Person, having existed with God the Father from the beginning, much like the Logos in John 1. It was not for nothing that Justinian named his magnificent cathedral Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom).