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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · World Religions and Traditions

Judaism

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ˈdʒuːdeɪɪzəm/nounCore term

In religious studies & theology, Judaism means: The religion, culture and way of life of the Jewish people, based on the covenant with God described in the Hebrew Bible and developed in the Talmud and later teaching.

In Turkish: Yahudilik, Musevilik

How it is used

Scholars distinguish ancient Israelite religion, Second Temple Judaism and rabbinic Judaism, and speak of modern movements such as Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Judaism. The adjective is Jewish (Jewish law, Jewish communities); Judaic appears mainly in the name Judaic studies.

Example sentences

  1. Rabbinic Judaism developed after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE.

  2. Her research focuses on Judaism in the Ottoman Empire and the life of Sephardic communities.

Common collocations

  • rabbinic Judaism
  • Orthodox Judaism
  • Reform Judaism
  • Second Temple Judaism
  • TorahThe first five books of the Hebrew Bible, traditionally attributed to Moses; in a wider sense, the whole body of Jewish teaching and law.
  • TalmudThe central text of rabbinic Judaism, which combines the Mishnah, an early code of Jewish oral law, with the Gemara, centuries of rabbinic discussion of it.
  • halakhaJewish religious law, based on the Torah and developed in the Talmud and later legal codes, which guides daily life, worship, food and family matters.
  • synagogueA Jewish house of prayer, study and community gathering, where the Torah scrolls are kept in an ark and read during services.
  • rabbiA Jewish religious teacher and scholar trained in Jewish law, who often leads a congregation, teaches and answers questions on religious practice.

More terms: World Religions and Traditions

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