their enemies and conquerors were ultimately satisfied with nothing less
than a radical revaluation of their enemies’ values, that is to say, an act of
the most spiritual revenge. (Nietzsche 1967:33–34)Christianity is an extension of Jewish slave morality. Whereas slave morality
with the Jews originally focused on the belief in freedom, with the emergence
of Christianity, slave morality extended this to the belief in equality before
God. While the belief in freedom was a response to slavery, the belief in equal-
ity was a response to inequality. The development of the Occident is an
extended struggle – a dialectic between master morality and slave morality
(Nietzsche 1968:52–54).
The development of Talmudic Judaism and early Christianity follows the
dialectic of religious rationalization. A split occurred within Ancient Judaism.
One of the paths toward which ancient Judaism developed was Talmudic
Judaism; the other was early Christianity. Talmudic Judaism was a further
rationalization of ancient Judaism while early Christianity was a charismatic
movement driven by value rationality, which became routinized. The dialec-
tic of prophet and priest in ancient Judaism continued in the conflict between
Talmudic Judaism and early Christianity but it transcended it (Schluchter
1985:16; 1989:210). The history of ancient Judaism is a history of the devel-
opment of rationalism. Rationalistic principles were taken over first by the
prophets, then by the Pharisees and finally by the authors of the Talmud,
who completed the rationalization of Judaism (Schiper 1959:252).
In contrast with ancient Judaism, the messianic beliefs of early Christianity
took more of an otherworldly direction (Kautsky 1925:409). Neither Jesus nor
his kingship was “of this world” ( John 8:23; 17:14; 18:36). Nevertheless, Bloch
(1972:131) argues that Jesus did not perceive the kingdom of God as being
in the other world but in this world: “the kingdom of God is in the midst of
you” (Luke 17:21). It is not clear that when Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of
God, he meant in this world, which is more of a Jewish conception, or the
other world, which has come to be more of a Christian conception.
Jesus did not come “to abolish the law and the prophets” “but to fulfill
them” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus was called rabbi (teacher) ( John 1:38; 3:2; 4:31).
Jesus said “I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all
Jews come together” ( John 18:20). His last supper was a Passover Seder with
his twelve disciples (Mark 14:12–22; Luke 22:15). The son of man was crucified
on Passach (Matthew 26:2). The central figures to whom Christians bow down
and pray are four Jews: Jesus, Peter, Paul, and Mary (Nietzsche 1967:53).
Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity • 215