If someone decides that they cannot follow Christianity because they reject Jesus as the Messiah and believe in the God of the Tanakh, what are they meant to do about being a part of a believing community. I understand they are not expected, or maybe even encouraged to convert. Are they expected to live a solitary life as a theist with a belief in the eternal Israel. Seems to me that would be rather a lonely experience. The Noachide movement remains quite obscure, not a Noachide in sight where I
Great post, and great questions. Truly, there shouldn’t be a difference between the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity about the belief in the Creator as described in the Tanakh. But, inevitably, there are marked differences.
The Hebrew Roots movement is a rapidly growing movement of Christians that seek to adhere to Mosaic Law, under the premise that Christ was a Jew and that the best way to follow Christ is to attempt to live as Christ did by following Mosaic Law, keeping the Sabbath, observing the Jewish festival days, etc. The general idea is that Christ never celebrated Easter and Christmas, but He did celebrate Passover and other Jewish feast days, and that to be more Christ-like we should attempt to do the same.
No doubt this movement is controversial, as they are discredited by both Jews and Christians alike, albeit for different reasons. They are a hybrid theology of sorts, adhering to the Torah, but still believing in Christ. In many ways, the Hebrew Roots movement is a beckoning back to the earliest Christians who were primarily Jews.
If you are interested in leading a more observant adherence to the Torah, then nothing prevents you from learning more about Judaism on your own. The
Chabad.org web site is a great starting point, as well as obtaining Jewish books from publishers like Art Scroll. Chabad has its own detractors, but its web site is a wealth of information about Judaism. Art Scroll, in fact, was designed for generally unobservant English-speaking Jews to learn how to become more observant of their Jewish faith. They publish a wide arrange of holy books, ranging from Jewish prayer books (siddurs), to vast commentaries on the Torah, even an English translation of the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud.
Amazon carries some great books on this subject as well. Becoming A Jew by Maurice Lamm is an excellent starter, or How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household by Blu Greenberg is another. Both books will give you some insight into Judaism. Amazon has several good books in this category.
If you find yourself moving in this direction, then you might then want to consult with a rabbi. An Orthodox conversion is challenging, requires major lifestyle changes and even possibly moving to a Jewish community far from home. There are also challenges with immediate and extended family, who may voice rather hostile objections to conversion. But, if this is your spiritual calling and path, then so be it. You can’t stop the call of the Creator.
