Judaism vs Christianity is one of the commonest comparisons readers ask about. People comparing Judaism and Christianity often add Reddit to their search in the hope of a plain, straight answer. This page gives short, sourced answers to the questions they ask most. For the longer comparison, see Comparative studies.
In this article
Are Judaism and Christianity the same religion?
No. They share a scripture and a history, and Christianity began as a movement within Judaism, but they separated over the first four centuries and became two religions with different beliefs about God, the Messiah and the law. See The parting of the ways.
What is the main difference between Judaism and Christianity?
Jesus. Christians believe that he is the Messiah and the Son of God, one person of the Trinity, who died and rose again.1 Jews do not accept him as the Messiah; they await a Messiah still to come, a human king of David’s line who will restore Israel and bring peace, and they hold that God is one and indivisible.2
Do Jews and Christians read the same Bible?
In part. The Jewish scripture, the Tanakh, is the Christian Old Testament, though the books are arranged differently, and Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include further books not in the Hebrew canon. Christians add the New Testament, which Judaism does not accept as scripture. See The Tanakh and The Bible.
Do Christians keep the Jewish law?
Most do not. The apostles at Jerusalem freed Gentile converts from circumcision and most of the law of Moses, requiring only that they avoid food offered to idols, blood, what is strangled and sexual immorality.3 Observant Jews live by the 613 commandments of the Torah as the rabbis interpreted them.4 See Religious law in the Abrahamic traditions.
How does each see the other?
Christianity holds that God’s covenant with Israel was fulfilled and opened to all nations in Christ, though churches differ on what that means for the Jewish people today. Judaism regards Christianity as a separate religion that grew from Jewish roots. The Qur’an, for its part, honours the prophets of Israel and Jesus as Messiah, and calls on both communities to return to the pure monotheism of Abraham.5
Judaism vs Christianity in brief
Judaism vs Christianity comes down to one figure: Christians hold Jesus to be the Messiah and the Son of God, while Jews await a Messiah still to come and hold that God is one and indivisible. Both read the Hebrew Bible, and they differ on the law, the covenant and the New Testament.
Further reading: Comparative studies, The parting of the ways, Jesus across the traditions.