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The fact that Greek and Roman texts were preserved in monasteries has nothing to do with the cultural contribution of Christianity- it's more of a lucky acciden
by Udik 8y ago
The fact that Greek and Roman texts were preserved in monasteries has nothing to do with the cultural contribution of Christianity- it's more of a lucky accident. A lot of Greek texts were translated and preserved by Arab scholars, nobody speaks of "Arab roots" of our culture.
Christianity has had a profound and determinant influence on the Western culture; so did Greek and Roman culture, which found a way to integrate with Christianity while remaining mostly distinct from it.
Judaism? Not so much. If anything reached us of Judaism it was already entirely contained and transformed by Christianity.
- compsciphd 8y agothere is no christianity without judaism. if christianity had a profound impact, than by transitive property, judaism did as well. the only way to argue your "If anything reached us of Judaism it was already entirely contained and transformed by Christianity." is to argue a christian supersessionist worldview (which was certainly the primary christian viewpoint for the majority of its history)
- Udik 8y agoIt's exactly that. Christianity was historically born out of Judaism but (to simplify) in opposition to it. Any belief of Judaism that is not already included in Christianity is not part of the West's cultural heritage, and often in opposition to its values. Supersessionism was challenged only very recently, and out of purely political, not religious or cultural, reasons. Claiming Judeo-Christian roots is a bit like saying that you're genetically the product of your father AND of your paternal great parents- pretty pointless, especially when you fail to mention the maternal contribution.
- Udik 8y agoBtw, apparently the idea itself that Christianity separated from Judaism two thousand years ago is imprecise. What is considered to be Judaism today is just one of the sects that were born in Palestine approximately two thousand years ago- in other words, rabbinical Judaism is not even an ancestor of Christianity, it's a sibling.
- Mediterraneo10 8y ago> A lot of Greek texts were translated and preserved by Arab scholars, nobody speaks of "Arab roots" of our culture. By the time Arab translations of Greek and Roman works were rediscovered by the West, the synthesis of Classical culture with Christianity had already been complete for centuries. So, the Arab contribution did not greatly affect the popular narrative. > Judaism? Not so much. If anything reached us of Judaism it was already entirely contained and transformed by Christianity. Certainly the impact of Judaism on the West is small compared to Christianity. But Spinoza, who came out of a Jewish intellectual tradition, was one of the founding figures of the Enlightenment.