Transcript The Judeo-Christian Tradition

The Impact of Judaism and
Christianity on the
Development of Democracy
The origins of Judaism
Abraham had this crazy idea…
Abraham had this crazy idea…
One
God!
Beliefs of the Hebrews
• God is perfect, all knowing, all powerful, and
eternal
• God wants more than for humans to perform
rituals and give sacrifices
• God wishes for people to live moral lives
• The religion of the Hebrews was called
Judaism
This means that each human
being has a divine spark that
gives him or her a dignity that
can never be taken away. For
the Greeks and Romans, the
individual had dignity because of
his or her ability to reason. For
the Hebrews, each person had
dignity simply by being a child of
God.
13th
Moses
century B.C.
TEN COMMANDMENTS
I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
III.Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD in vain.
IV. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
V. Honour thy father and thy mother.
VI. Thou shalt not kill.
VII.Thou shalt not commit adultery.
VIII.Thou shalt not steal.
IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour.
X. Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy neighbour's.
The Ten Commandments
• Unlike the laws of other peoples, the
Hebrews’ code focused more on morality and
ethics and less on political laws.
• While the Hebrew code of justice was strict, it
was softened by expressions of God’s mercy
He has told you, O
mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord
require of you but to do
justice, and to love
kindness, and to walk
humbly with your God?
Micah, 6:8
Jewish Social Conscience
• The Jews believed that it is the responsibility
of every person to oppose injustice and
oppression and that the community should
assist the unfortunate
• Prophets maintained that life on earth could
be improved if people adhered to higher
moral standards
Jesus of Nazareth
• Both a Jew and a Roman subject
• Began to preach at the age of thirty
• Emphasized God’s personal relationship with
each human being
• Stressed the importance of love for God,
neighbors, enemies, & oneself in order to
regulate behavior
• People should repent their sins
I say unto you, Love your
enemies, bless them that
curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for
them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you.
According to Jesus’ followers, he
rose from the dead three days
later and ascended into heaven.
His followers believed he was the
Messiah, or savior. Jesus came to
be referred to as Jesus Christ.
Christos is a Greek word meaning
“savior.” The word Christianity, the
name of the religion founded by
Jesus, was derived from the name
Christ.
Followers of
Christianity began
to spread the
message that
Jesus was the son
of God and that
he had died for
peoples’ sins.
They welcomed
all converts, Jew
and non-Jew.
Rome Spreads Judeo-Christian Ideas
• Diaspora – after the Jews began to rebel
against the Romans in the first century, they
were exiled from their homeland
• The Jews took their beliefs about justice and
dignity with them
• By 380, Christianity had become the official
religion of the empire because of the Emperor
Constantine
The Muslim Religion
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All humans are of a brotherhood of people
Different groups should tolerate one another
One should offer charity to those in need
Rulers are subject to the same laws as those
they rule
Duccio Maestà Altarpiece (1308-1311)
Detail of The Effects of Good Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1338)
The Tribute Money by Masaccio (1420s)
The Birth of Venus for the Medici by Sandro Botticelli (1482-1486)
The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci (1495-1498)
Two Cherubs, detail from Sistine Madonna, by Raphael (1513-1514)
The Renaissance
• Cultural movement that renewed interest in
the classics, including art and restoring old
monuments
• Individualism became popular as people
obtained responsibility and control of their
lives
• People became humanists (focused on
human, rather than religious/spiritual,
interests)
The Reformation
• A religious reform movement occurring from
abuses of power in the Catholic Church
• Stressed individualism and the freedom of
beliefs
• Challenged the authority of monarchs and
popes
• Places value on liberty