Dual-covenant theology
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Dual-covenant theology is a Christian belief which teaches that Jews can go to Heaven simply by keeping the Law of Moses, because of the "everlasting covenant"[1] between Abraham and God expressed in the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament), whereas Gentiles (those not Jews or Jewish proselytes) must convert to Christianity. Judaism teaches that non-Jews need only follow the Seven Laws of Noah to be assured of a place in the world to come.[2]
The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (2006), states explicitly[3]:
| “ | The covenant that God made with the Jewish people through Moses remains eternally valid for them. | ” |
However, this part of the Catechism is in dispute and the US Bishops have voted to change it[4].
The following is a sourced wikiquote[5] of Jerry Falwell:
| “ | I have been on record all 54 years of my ministry as being opposed to dual covenant theology... I simply cannot alter my deeply held belief in the exclusivity of salvation through the Gospel of Christ for the sake of political or theological expediency. Like the Apostle Paul, I pray daily for the salvation of everyone, including the Jewish people. | ” |
The Jewish Encyclopedia article on Gentile: Gentiles May Not Be Taught the Torah[6] notes the following Jewish-Christian reconciliation:
| “ | R. Emden, in a remarkable apology for Christianity contained in his appendix to "Seder 'Olam,"[7] gives it as his opinion that the original intention of Jesus, and especially of Paul, was to convert only the Gentiles to the seven moral laws of Noah and to let the Jews follow the Mosaic law — which explains the apparent contradictions in the New Testament regarding the laws of Moses and the Sabbath. | ” |
[edit] References
- ^ Genesis 17:13
- ^ Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot M'lakhim 8:14
- ^ United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, (Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2006).
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Gentile: Gentiles May Not Be Taught the Torah
- ^ Emden, R. "Appendix to "Seder 'Olam," pp. 32b-34b, Hamburg, 1752. http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/falk1a.htm, quoted by http://www.wikinoah.org/index.php/Yaakov_Emden_on_Noahides. Cf. http://www.bc.edu/research/cjl/meta-elements/texts/cjrelations/resources/articles/Brill.htm, which is also quoted by the aforementioned WikiNoah page.
[edit] See also
- Biblical law in Christianity
- Covenant (Biblical)
- John Hagee
- Supersessionism
- Antinomianism
- B'nei Noah
- Christian-Jewish reconciliation
- Legalism (theology)
[edit] External links
- Jerusalem Post: Mar 2, 2006: Hagee, Falwell deny endorsing 'dual covenant'
- Journal of Lutheran Ethics: Jewish-Christian Difficulties in Challenging Christian Zionism by Robert O. Smith: "...sometimes referred to as “dual covenant” theology. Any other understanding of the relationship, Christian Zionists argue, is a variation of supersessionism."
- Ignatius Insight interview of Roy H. Schoeman: "This "dual covenant" theology seems to have been adopted to avoid the intrinsic, basic conflict at the heart of the Jewish-Catholic dialog. That is that either the Catholic Church is itself the continuation of Judaism after the coming of the Jewish Messiah – i.e., the Church is post-Messianic Judaism – or it is nothing at all."
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