[Avodah] Rav Yaakov Emden & Christianity

[Daniel Eidensohn]

I just came across an interesting article written 30 years ago by Blu 
Greenberg - Judaism 27:3 1978 p351-363. Any more recent writings on this 
subject?

Rabbi Jacob Emden: The views of an enlightened Traditionalist on 
Christianity.

page 358 "In his commentary Eitz Avos (40b-41a) on Pirkei Avot (4:11), 
Emden describes Christianity as a "religion in the service of God," a 
religion which God sees as good and, therefore, He sustains it; it came 
to spread the word of God to those 'who, until then, had worshipped wood 
and stone, who denied the existence of God altogether, who did not 
believe in good and evil, or in the afterlife. Christianity spread the 
notion of one God, one Ruler of all the universe who metes out justice 
to His creations. Christians accept the seven Noahide Laws and many 
other mitzvot which they voluntarily take upon themselves. In addition 
to these good qualities, God also gave them prophecy through their 
righteous ones, and through these prophets gave them laws and 
commandments by which to live. Because of all this - because they met 
these tests of a holy community-their religion was upheld and maintained 
by God. Emden continues: these two families, Christianity and 
Mohammedanism, which God selected as vehicles to bring faith into the 
world, were never brought under the yoke of mitzvot of the Torah; their 
fathers never gave it to them, nor did they stand at Sinai; neither were 
they slaves in Egypt; therefore, they are not obligated for the 
613mitzvos and are thus exempt from the prohibition of shittuf. Emden 
concludes with the repetition of a previous theme: though some of their 
evil ones cause us sorrow with their violent actions and false 
accusations, there are righteous ones who protect us from those who 
rise  up against Jews, and wise ones among them who search for truth in 
our works and find no fault in our faithfulness to our Torah and mitzvot. "

Shailos Yaavetz (1:41): 

*… *Non‑Jews who have not been acquired as slaves are not comparable to 
animals and have familial relations and this is surely true concerning 
these nations which have religion and a legal system and they believe in 
the Creator of the world who runs it and gives reward and punishment as 
well aas believing in a number of other fundamental principles. So even 
though they worship many deities they are not in fact prohibited to do 
that - as our sages have said that non‑Jews are not prohibited 
concerning shituf (Devarim  4:19)… They believe  that there are 
intermediaries that G‑d uses to run this world such as stars and angels 
as well as many other agents for G‑d’s providence over the world. Thus 
they include these agents in their worship of G‑d saying that it is 
G‑d’s will that they give some honor to G‑d’s servants and in a sense 
the servant of the king is like a king. This is the religion of most 
idolators in the world as is well known…

Daniel Eidensohn