Jewish Spirituality
In order to understand the diverse varieties of Jewish spirituality, it is important to recognize that they differ greatly from some of the assumptions embedded in the dominant Christian culture. The dichotomies of secular vs. spiritual and even faith vs. disbelief are understood differently in Jewish thought. For example, one might think that being a "Baptist Atheist" is just plain impossible. But atheism has been a minority strain of Jewish thought for centuries. Jewish spirituality in fact encompasses a number of viewpoints that would seem to be mutually exclusive to Christians.
Of course, some Jewish people are quick to consign dissenting voices to the outer darkness, but it is far more common to find that Judaism makes wider allowances for alternative thinking than Christianity does. This is because Christians (especially Evangelicals), define themselves primarily on the basis of what they believe. Jewish people, on the other hand, base their identities on the community into which they are born. It is common among Evangelicals to declare that "God has no grandchildren," meaning that each individual soul must choose the Gospel in order to become a member of the Church. But for the Jewish people, God does have grandchildren - stretching back for millennia to Abraham, with whom God made a covenant on behalf of the generations that would proceed from Abraham's body. Therefore, Jewish identity is grounded not so much in what a Jew thinks about God, but in who he or she is as a part of the Jewish people.
Practical applications of Jewish spirituality can differ widely. Orthodox Jews point to Moses and the Torah as the foundation of Jewish life. For them, the revelation at Sinai and the system of Law that has developed is the basis from which all meaningful life proceeds. Torah obedience is the primary duty of obedient and holy Jewish people whose life and blessing are dependent upon the reality of God and His dynamic will.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are Jewish people who will tell you that they have dispensed with God as an antiquated idea that has outlived its usefulness. Such Jews are content to think of themselves as part of a "religious civilization" to which they are proud to belong, but by no means may lay hold to any superior theological truth. What matters to them are the human values of justice and our capacity to create a better world.
Between these two extremes are Jews who struggle to understand themselves as people living with a God who may or may not exist, seeking to find meaning not only within the wisdom of Judaism, but anywhere it may be found. Though such a scattered approach to truth may seem foolish to some, it is a powerful testimony that human beings must reach for meaning beyond the visible and the immediate. It is spiritual seekers such as these - Jewish and otherwise - who have chosen to become Messiah's followers throughout the centuries.
