Date
6-2016
Department
School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Chair
Edward L. Smither
Keywords
Incarnation, Jesus, Maimonides, Messiah, Negation, Trinity
Disciplines
Biblical Studies | Comparative Methodologies and Theories | History of Religions of Western Origin | Other Religion | Religion
Recommended Citation
Downey, Amy, "Maimonides’ Yahweh: How His Via Negativa God Influenced Rabbinic Judaism and Its Subsequent Misunderstanding of Incarnational Christian Theology" (2016). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 1238.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/1238
Abstract
The life of Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides) remains a mystery to many within evangelical Christianity while he is lauded as a “Second Moses” within Modern Judaism. In many ways, Maimonides is deserving of the title as his understanding of the nature of God being that of via Negativa created a rationale for rejecting the Messiahship claims of Jesus in Rabbinic Judaism. However, and one of the purposes of this dissertation, is to illustrate that Maimonides in his desire to create an anti-Christian apologetic regarding the Incarnation fashioned a Judaism that does not reflect the truths of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and developed a Judaism that was untenable for the Jewish people of the twenty-first century. Therefore, we as believers in Jesus must return them to the truth of the Hebrew Scriptures and the truth of Messiah Jesus who is also God the Son.
Included in
Biblical Studies Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, History of Religions of Western Origin Commons, Other Religion Commons
