Wikipedia:WikiProject Progressive Judaism/temp/Progressive, Reform and Liberal Judaism

This is a page for drafting materials about the progressive aka reform (or vice versa) movement.

Beliefs and practices

Adherents of the Progressive Movement lay claim to a long history dating back at least to the early 19th century reform movement.^{[citation needed]}

Because the progressive movement believes in the continuous integration of Jewish tradition and non-Jewish insights, the specific beliefs and practices of Progressive Judaism have changed over time.^[1] The commitment to personal and congregational autonomy also means that standards of belief and practice can vary widely from region to region, from congregation to congregation, and even from individual to individual.^{[citation needed]}

Because it is impossible to define Progressive Judaism in terms of specific practices, historian Michael Meyers prefers to characterize progressive Judaism by certain dynamic tensions. They include, but are not limited to: continuity versus reform, authority versus autonomy and universalism versus particularism.^[2]

Continuity and reform

Authority and autonomy

Universalism and Particularism

Ethics and law

Interpretation of traditional texts

Zionism

Regional differences

To learn more about regional variations in the current beliefs and practices of progressive Jews, it may be helpful to examine some of the regional statements of belief. A number of these are listed in the footnotes below (see 2-7).

^ Meyer, Michael (1988). Response to Modernity. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. ix. It is not possible to isolate a doctrinal essence of the Reform movement. While certain teachings, such as the historical nature of Judaism, progressive revelation, and universalized messianism, take firm hold once they appear, only the last is present from the start. Some tenets prominent at an early stage lose their significance or are even rejected in the course of time.
^ Meyer, Response to Modernity, ix-x

[1] Meyer, Michael (1988). Response to Modernity. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. ix. It is not possible to isolate a doctrinal essence of the Reform movement. While certain teachings, such as the historical nature of Judaism, progressive revelation, and universalized messianism, take firm hold once they appear, only the last is present from the start. Some tenets prominent at an early stage lose their significance or are even rejected in the course of time.

[2] Meyer, Response to Modernity, ix-x

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