[lbo-talk] Judeo-Christian Tradition/Myth/Ideology (was still being titled 'Narnia')

[C. G. Estabrook]

The term Judeo-Christian with its modern meaning -- religious and ethical
principles shared by Judaism and Christianity -- is common currency by
the mid-20th century, although the notion is also general in Patristic,
Scholastic, and Humanist literature.  Modern biblical studies (from the
19th century) make it clearer in the sense I mentioned earlier, that
Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Islam all stem (in that order) from
the religion of ancient Israel.

OED2 notes a reference to "Judæo-Christian continuity" from 1899. The 1910
Britannica uses "Judaeo-Christianity" to refer to the first generations of
Christians. But by 1939 a reference to "The Judaeo-Christian scheme of
morals" clearly has the modern sense. The OED cites common examples from   
1957 ("the Judaeo-Christian deity") and 1960 ("The religious zeal of
Judeo-Christianity"). --CGE

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005, John Bizwas wrote:


> CC writes:
> 
> >>Michael, you are in the wrong context. "Judeo-Christian" AS A TERM
> does not exist in English until late in the 20th century. What you are
> talking about here is the enormous influence of the OT on 16th/17th
> century Protestant theology. This has been discussed off and on for a
> long time. One Milton scholar spent his life trying to prove that
> Milton had read a number of Rabbinic commentaries -- not generally
> accepted now.>>
> 
> Could Carrol or Max give us a definitive quote showing where the term
> comes into existence? ...