Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

RELIGION LIBRARY

Orthodox Judaism

Toggle navigation

Beginnings

Orthodox Judaism claims to be the faithful heir to classical, or normative, rabbinic Judaism. However, as a distinct denomination of modern Judaism, Orthodoxy was established in mid-19th-century central Europe in reaction to the radical changes to tradition introduced by Reform Judaism.

Influences

The rapid spread of the haskalah , or Jewish enlightenment in western Europe, followed by the Reform movement's widespread successes, generated the deeply conservative and separationist ideology that came to characterize Orthodox Judaism. Among the most significant rabbinical influences on the founders of the Orthodoxy were R. Elijah (the Gaon) of Vilna and R. Ezekiel Landau of Prague.

Founders

Although Orthodoxy claims no official founders, as it considers itself the authentic version of ancient Judaism and not a product of the modern era, two 19th-century rabbis—Samson Raphael Hirsch in Germany and Moses Sofer in Hungary—are widely considered to be the ideological forefathers of Orthodox Judaism. read more

Sacred Texts

Aside from the Torah, whose full and exact text is believed by Orthodox Jews to have been revealed directly to Moses by God and transmitted intact through the generations, Orthodoxy has a large body of authoritative rabbinical texts—most importantly the Talmud and the 16th-century legal code, Shulchan Aruch. read more

Historical Perspectives

Despite Orthodoxy's belief that it represents the unchanged will of God as interpreted over the millennia by rabbis representing an "unbroken chain of tradition," the term "Orthodox" first came into use in the 19th century. Orthodoxy has evolved in reaction to a wide range of challenges and changing conditions in the modern world.

Overview History Back to religion Library

editors picks View All Columns

Evangelical

Before You Unplug or Sign Out for Good

Guest Contributor

Evangelical

What Is the Purpose of Spiritual Gifts, and How Do You Discover Yours?

New Visions

5 Ways to Hear What God is Telling You

Muslim

How Awake Are We? When Waking Up is Falling Asleep

Daniel Thomas Dyer

Latter-day Saint

"The Church supports the use of vaccinations"

Evangelical

Luther and the Beauty of Christ

Guest Contributor

The Soul of Gospel Music Explored in New Netflix Series "Voices of Fire"

Seven Ways to Think About Christian Mysticism

Evangelical

Cancelling Alice Walker?

Evangelical

Does God Have His Own Logic?

Muslim

Imam Ali’s letter to the Governor- Everlasting Example of Good...

Progressive Christian

Why Did Jesus Have To Die?

Patheos Logo Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos