Judaism and Christianity: Same But Different
What you'll learn
- Articulate the similarities and differences in Jewish and Christian beliefs so as to enhance interfaith relations and religious understanding
- Refute stereotypes about Jewish and Christian beliefs
- Participate on a deeper level in interfaith dialogue
- Analyze Jewish and Christian sacred texts in their appropriate context
- Serve as role models for religious understanding
Requirements
- Students do not need to have any particular background knowledge before taking this course
- All materials for the course will be provided in the course; there are no textbooks that you need to purchase
Description
When you hear the terms "Immortal Soul, Heaven and Hell, the Messiah, and Resurrection," do you automatically think of Christianity? This course will show you that these are Jewish beliefs as well! This 10-session course, containing a total of 2.15 hours of video lectures, will first provide you with a historical background to ancient Judaism and Christianity, and then will focus on one primary religious belief each session, including the topics of undeserved suffering, the immortal soul, heaven and hell, the messiah, the world to come, angels, resurrection, and forgiveness. Each session contains a video lecture, sample texts to study, and opportunities to interact with fellow classmates about these religious beliefs. After taking the course, you will be able to articulate how Judaism and Christianity are similar in their beliefs and how they differ; trace how religious beliefs are embedded in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament; analyze ancient Rabbinic texts in comparison with texts from the ancient Church Fathers; and refute stereotypes about Judaism and Christianity. If you want to have a deeper knowledge of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, are interested in chaplaincy or interfaith work, or simply want to contribute to greater interfaith understanding, this course is for you!
Who this course is for:
- This course is best suited for students interested in interfaith relations, chaplaincy, and the study of religion
- This course is best suited for students who are new to interfaith studies but who have an open mind, who believe that all religious traditions share the truth, and who want to learn more about other religions
- This course in NOT suited for students who have advanced knowledge about comparative religion
- This course is NOT suited for students who want to engage in polemics or who want to try to convert others to their religion
Course content
- Preview00:50
- Preview13:09
- 10 questionsQuiz on Lecture 2
Instructor
![Ruth Sandberg](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 64 64"%3E%3C/svg%3E){kind=avatar}
- 4.4 Instructor Rating
- 38 Reviews
- 150 Students
- 1 Course
I'm Ruth Sandberg, and I have been teaching courses in Jewish and Christian Studies for over 30 years at Gratz College, the oldest pluralistic College of Jewish Studies in the United States. I am an ordained Rabbi, and I received my PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. I have written two books, one on the Rabbinic interpretation of the book of Ecclesiastes, and one on Jewish law.