Should Christians Embrace the "Judeo-Christian" Identity?
In recent decades, particularly in the American cultural and political spheres, the term "Judeo-Christian" has been widely used as a kind of shorthand for shared moral values, ethical monotheism, and a supposed common religious heritage. But should Christians adopt this term as part of their identity? The answer, from both a theological and ecclesial perspective, is no. While the term may have some value in political discourse or interfaith civility, it falls short—and even misleads—when used to define the Christian faith.
Fulfillment, Not Parallelism
Christianity is not a sibling religion to Judaism; it is the fulfillment of it. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17, NKJV). Christians revere the Old Testament, but through the lens of the New Covenant inaugurated by the blood of Christ.
Judaism today—particularly post-Temple rabbinic Judaism—rejects Jesus as Messiah. It maintains a system of religious thought that explicitly denies the Incarnation, the Atonement, and the Resurrection. These are not secondary disagreements; they are the very heart of the gospel. To place Judaism and Christianity side by side as equal expressions of God's truth is to ignore the defining reality of Christ's fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.
The Illusion of Shared Doctrine
Much of the appeal of the term "Judeo-Christian" lies in perceived moral and ethical overlap: belief in the Ten Commandments, respect for divine law, and traditional views of family and society. But even here, the unity is overstated. Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity part ways on the meaning and application of many moral teachings, particularly concerning grace, forgiveness, and atonement.
More importantly, moral teachings divorced from Christ are insufficient. Christians do not simply follow a code; we follow a Person—Jesus Christ. As St. Paul wrote, "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24, NKJV). Without Christ, the Law is incomplete and unable to save.
The Church: The True Israel of God
Historic Christian theology—from the early Fathers to the Reformers—has consistently taught that the Church is the new Israel, the spiritual fulfillment of God’s covenant people. St. Paul describes Gentile believers as wild olive branches grafted into the cultivated olive tree of Israel (Romans 11:17). The Church is not an add-on to Israel; it is its fulfillment and continuation.
To adopt a "Judeo-Christian" identity risks confusing the Church's nature. It may even imply a kind of dual covenant theology, where both Judaism and Christianity are equally valid paths to God. This is not the teaching of Scripture. As Peter declared before the Sanhedrin, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12, NKJV).
Love Without Compromise
None of this is to deny the Church's call to love and honor the Jewish people. St. Paul grieves for his fellow Israelites, expressing his desire that they be saved (Romans 9:1-3). Our love must be sincere, our prayers fervent, and our witness clear. But love does not require theological compromise. We are not helping our Jewish neighbors by suggesting that their rejection of the Messiah is merely a different expression of the same truth.
A Clearer Identity: Christian
We must not settle for vague alliances or imprecise labels. Christians are not merely moral traditionalists or monotheists; we are those who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, crucified and risen. While we can acknowledge a shared heritage in the patriarchs and the Scriptures, our identity is distinctly and exclusively Christian.
The Church was never meant to be a neutral moral coalition. It is the Body of Christ, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). We must speak of Christ—not merely of values or laws. In doing so, we honor both our heritage and our Lord.
The term "Judeo-Christian" may have served a useful political function in an era of rebuilding and moral consensus. But it is not a theological category, and it should not define the Church. Let us, then, speak plainly. We are Christians. Our faith is not shared with those who reject Christ, no matter how noble or moral they may be. We preach Christ crucified—to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
We can appreciate the historical connections and the shared moral vocabulary without confusing them for a shared covenant. Christianity is not a subset of Judaism, nor a sibling religion. It is the New Covenant, the Gospel of Jesus Christ—the only name by which men must be saved.