World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide

6.7 The Enlightenment and New Religious Movements The Enlightenment movement started in the late 18 th CE in Europe by a group of intellectual, social, and political groups. There were reductions in the European laws that prohibited Jews to interact with the secular world. Jews were able to receive education and experience. The Haskalah, or the Jewish Enlightenment, began in Central Europe and Western Europe in response to the Enlightenment and the new freedoms. With the promise of political emancipation, many Jews saw no reason to observe Jewish Law, so they assimilated into Christian Europe. Subsequently, these movements spread to the United States and Great Britain. Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism developed and relaxed legal obligations. Prayer looked more Protestant. In the United States, wealthy Reform rabbis who felt that Jewish Law should not be entirely abandoned supported seminaries to train rabbis for immigration from Eastern Europe. Birth rates for American Jews have dropped from 2.0 to 1.7. Intermarriage rates range from 40-50% in the US and only 1/3 of children of intermarried couples are raised as Jews. The Jewish population in the United States shrank from 5.5 million to 5.1 million. The Baal Teshuva movement is a movement of Jews who have returned to the religion or who have become more observant. 6.8 What Do Jews Believe About The Afterlife? Jews believe unrighteous Jews and Gentiles are punished in Genion (Jewish Hell) for up to 12 months after death. After, they are purified the righteous continue on to Gan Eden (Heaven). The truly wicked endure a full year of punishment in Genion. Their body is consumed, their soul is burned, and the wind scatters them under the soles of the feet of the righteous. The Messiah The Messianic Age is a period in human history that will be initiated when the messiah comes. Then, the righteous dead will be resurrected, but the wicked will not. It will be a time of peace and restoration of the land and the organizations of Israel.

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