5

Many Jewish authorities consider Christianity to be idolatry due to their belief in a "Holy Trinity." Is that position universal for all Christians, or is it specific only to particular individuals or denominations that actually believe in the trinity?

In particular, is Unitarianism widely considered to be idolatry among rabbinic authorities?

Daniel
  • 24,888
  • 3
  • 48
  • 148
  • Seems like a duplicate of http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/12235. – msh210 Apr 16 '13 at 19:54
  • @msh210, possibly, but this question wasn't fully answered there; it was only mentioned in passing. – Daniel Apr 16 '13 at 20:18
  • Daniel, if it wasn't fully answered there and you wish more attention to be paid to it there, see http://judaism.stackexchange.com/faq#bounty. Closing (see also http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/468?m=9008826#9008826 et seq.). – msh210 Apr 16 '13 at 21:00

1 Answers1

5

Generally speaking, no it's not "idolatry."

(Like Islam, it does not accept our Written and Oral Law as binding on Jews and thus it would be "heresy" for a Jew to follow, but not idolatry per se.)

Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin therefore allows one to enter a Unitarian church, and similarly Rabbi Hershel Schachter allows a Unitarian church to be converted into a synagogue. (Whereas if a building had been constructed to house and protect an "idol", there would be serious problems for Jews to use that building for any purpose.)

Shalom
  • 132,602
  • 8
  • 193
  • 489
  • 2
    Do you have citations for your claims that R' Henkin allows one to enter a Unitarian church and that R' Schachter allows the church to be converted into a synagogue? – Daniel Apr 16 '13 at 18:27
  • RHS - a recent Hilchos Beis Haknesses shiur on yutorah. – Shalom Apr 16 '13 at 18:56
  • RYHH - pretty sure it's in Bnei Banim; heard it on a Rabbi Linzer shiur on Christianity vis-a-vis Judaism. – Shalom Apr 16 '13 at 18:57