Lausanne World Pulse – Reaching Families from Different Religious Traditions
By Tuvya Zaretsky
How do we begin to extend Great Commission hope to Jewish-Gentile couples? Reaching Jewish people with the gospel is typically difficult; however, it is absolutely necessary. There is no other name by which anyone, including Jewish people, will be saved (Acts 4:12). Although Jewish people are normally gospel resistant, we are finding a much greater openness among Jewish-Gentile couples and their families.
So what are the challenges that Jewish-Gentile couples face? Through a qualitative research study2, I found five key challenges:
1. Confusion about their different identities. Stereotypes and wrong assumptions about what the other was “supposed” to be led to misunderstanding and poor communication. Jewish partners were unfamiliar with the religious beliefs of their Gentile partners. And Gentiles had a difficult time understanding Jewishness as an ethnicity as opposed to a religion.
2. Unbalanced interest in religious differences. Jews generally did not want to know as much about Christian religious beliefs and practices as Gentiles, who were much more curious about beliefs and practices of Judaism. Religious tensions impacted in-law relations and spiritual formation for children.
3. Disagreements about life-cycle celebrations. It seemed like every ritual, holiday and family gathering presented a gauntlet of conflicting cultural choices and sacred signals. Planning a wedding ceremony was often one of the most significant cross-cultural ordeals.
4. Differences in the pursuit of family harmony. A couple has to agree on an identity that suits them and their children. That difficult effort is compounded when parents, in-laws and extended family bring to bear their expectations about religion, child rearing, rituals and holiday celebrations. A foundational marital threat was the inability of couples to find spiritual harmony. At the same time, this may be the most fruitful entry point for application of gospel ministry to Jewish-Gentile couples. The gospel presents hope for reconciliation of individuals with God. From there comes a potential harmony between marriage partners and their family members. Obviously, this is a good approach to reach all couples from different religious backgrounds.
5. Diverse ideas regarding spiritual formation of children. Couples need to provide answers about the ethnic heritage of the children and how to express their religious culture as rituals and life-cycle practices. Passing culture on to children was particularly tough when it involved two dissimilar religious traditions.
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