Q&A: The Christian Messiah and Leibowitz
The Christian Messiah and Leibowitz
Question
Hello, Rabbi Michi,
A few weeks ago I asked you a question about messianism in Leibowitz’s view and the Christian messiah, and you asked me to explain, but for some reason it didn’t let me reply.
In any case, here is the explanation.
According to Leibowitz, the messiah is mainly a symbol of hope, and he must always be about to come and must not actually come.
So I’m asking: what prevents me from accepting the Christian messiah?
Answer
I am not Leibowitz’s spokesman. But you can accept whatever messiah you want, if you really believe in him. There is no prohibition against believing something. And even if there is—it changes nothing. Whatever you believe, you believe. Beyond that, what does “accept” mean? In your view, he also will not come, just like our messiah. So in what sense are you accepting him?
Discussion on Answer
Is that supposed to be an explanation of the question? If so, then I need an explanation of the explanation.
What didn’t you understand, Rabbi Michi?
Christians see Jesus as a symbol of hope.
Libo sees him that way.
If I accept Libo’s approach, what prevents me from converting to Christianity?
Vivi,
Leibowitz’s approach basically removes the messiah from religious life. In the sense of: “Why do I need redemption when I can serve God?”
He cited Maimonides’ words about messianism and those who calculate the end: “This adds neither love nor fear.”
Therefore, if you accept Libo’s approach, you would hope that the messiah will one day come, but you would never give up the commandments, which are the main thing. The hope is that one day they will be so easy, and Israel will be so at peace, and the whole earth will be filled with knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea.
The outer framework.
That is, Leibowitz believed in Judaism, and therefore he believed in this particular form of the Jewish messiah.
The meaning isn’t what matters.
It’s exactly like if you invented a new religion that included exactly the same commandments as Judaism, one by one, except that instead of a kippah you wear a baseball cap—it’s completely obvious that he would not switch over to it.
Same thing here. So Christianity happens to line up with Leibowitz’s messiah? Fine.
Why should that make you convert to Christianity?
On everything else, he disagreed with Christianity, and if I’m not mistaken he rather detested it.
In short, there is no reason at all for you to convert to Christianity.
What prevents you? Nothing. What exactly is the question? And how is this connected to Leibowitz’s concept of messianism? Other than that, I understood everything.
By the way, for Christians themselves, Jesus is not the messiah in the Jewish sense of a political figure, but is defined as a divinity who redeems the human race from the state of cosmic sin it has been in ever since the sin of the first Adam. If she believes in him in that sense, then she is engaging in idolatry.
Vivi, so what do you think of Rosenzweig’s critique of Christianity? And in general, where have you wandered off to?
Because Christians see him as a symbol of hope who mediates between human beings and God.