Published: 19 February 2025
Last updated: 20 February 2025
To fully embrace Jewish indigeneity and reject the non-Jewish world’s attempt to impose its thinking upon us, the Jewish people must re-examine how we define our Jewish identity. There is no aspect of this process more vital than the notion of Judaism as a religion.
This perspective is so deeply embedded in our collective psyche that it seems almost like a natural truth. Overcoming it will be extraordinarily difficult and will require significant effort on both individual and collective levels. However, despite being so embedded, this concept is actually a relatively modern phenomenon.
The Jewish people were always self-described as an Am (people). There is no word for religion in the Tanakh. And while the modern Hebrew word for religion is Dat, historically, it first appeared in Megillat Esther (the Scroll of Esther), where it was first used to reference law.
The redefinition of Judaism began in earnest between the 16th and 18th centuries when Judaism started being referred to specifically as the Jewish religion, in response to the Christian discourses that dominated at the time. Prior to the Reformation, ‘religion’ was used only in reference to Christianity, but after this point it came to be used in a broader sense, meaning a set of theological beliefs; in other words, what we define today as a ‘religion’. Crucially, this definition was applied to Jews by Christian scholars.
Comments2
M D Fisher6 March at 07:02 am
I live alone in Prinz Willem Alexander Retirement Village and am 99 years old. My wife died, and I live alone. I am interested in Jewish history, do not believe in any form of supernatural, had a Jewish mother and father and was born in the USA. I do not identify with the state of Israel and favor countries which do not care what religious beliefs their citizens have. I came to Australia because my Australian wife wanted to come home to Australia when I retired. Although I have descendants in the USA, I no longer identify with Trumpland. I am very lonely and appreciate the article.
John Kron21 February at 01:39 am
I totally agree with the intent and sentiment of this book.
But Ben, the solution is staring you in the face!
Since 1948 every Israeli Jew is defined as a member of the ‘Jewish People’.
This is stated clearly in their passports and ID cards.
Today that includes 8 million Jews.
It is the diaspora that needs to catch up with this definition.