Editing Conservative Judaism (section)

==Theology==
===Attitude===
Conservative Judaism was marked by ambivalence and ambiguity in all theological matters from its earliest stages. Rabbi [[Zecharias Frankel]], considered its intellectual progenitor, believed the very notion of theology was alien to traditional Judaism. He was often accused of obscurity on the subject by his opponents, both [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] and [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]]. The American movement largely espoused a similar approach, and its leaders mostly avoided the field. Only in 1985 did a course about Conservative theology open in the [[Jewish Theological Seminary of America]] (JTS). The hitherto sole major attempt to define a clear credo was made in 1988, with the Statement of Principles ''Emet ve-Emunah'' (Truth and Belief) formulated and issued by the [[Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism]]. The introduction stated that "lack of definition was useful" in the past, but a need to articulate one now arose. The platform provided many statements citing key concepts such as God, revelation, and [[Jews as the chosen people|election]], but also acknowledged that a variety of positions and convictions existed within its ranks, eschewing strict delineation of principles and often expressing conflicting views.<ref name="Gordis">{{cite book |surname=Gordis |given=Daniel |authorlink=Daniel Gordis |chapter=Conservative Judaism: The Struggle between Ideology and Popularity |editor-surname=Neusner |editor-given=Jacob |editor-link=Jacob Neusner |editor2-surname=Avery-Peck |editor2-given=Alan J. |title=The Blackwell Companion to Judaism |year=2003 |orig-year=2000 |edition=Reprint |pages=334–353 |publisher=Blackwell Publ. |place=Malden, Mass |chapter-url={{Google books|id=bEyD_MaeqP4C|plainurl=y|page=334|keywords=|text=}} |url={{Google books|id=bEyD_MaeqP4C|plainurl=y}} |isbn=1-57718-058-5}}</ref><ref name="AS">[[Alan Silverstein]], ''Modernists vs. Traditionalists: Competition for Legitimacy within American Conservative Judaism'', in: ''Studies in Contemporary Jewry, Volume XVII'', Oxford University Press, 2001. pp. 40–43.</ref><ref name="ElazarGeffen">{{cite book |surname=Elazar |given=Daniel J. |given2=Rela Mintz |surname2=Geffen |authorlink=Daniel J. Elazar |title=The Conservative Movement in Judaism: Dilemmas and Opportunities |publisher=SUNY Press |year=2012 |place=Albany, NY |isbn=9780791492024 |url={{Google books|id=6Lg6BmMTZGIC|plainurl=y|page=|keywords=|text=}}}}</ref> In a 1999 special edition of ''[[Conservative Judaism (journal)|Conservative Judaism]]'' dedicated to the matter, leading rabbis [[Elliot N. Dorff]] and [[Gordon Tucker]] stated that "the great diversity" within the movement "makes the creation of a theological vision shared by all neither possible nor desirable".<ref>''”If you are My witnesses...”: Special Issue on Theology''. Conservative Judaism 51, no. 2 (Winter 1999). p. 13.</ref>

===God and eschatology===
Conservative Judaism largely upholds the [[theistic]] notion of a [[personal God]]. ''Emet ve-Emunah'' stated, "We affirm our faith in God as the Creator and Governor of the universe. His power called the world into being; His wisdom and goodness guide its destiny."
Concurrently, the platform also noted that his nature was "elusive" and subject to many options of belief. A [[Naturalism (philosophy)|naturalistic]] conception of divinity, regarding it as inseparable from the mundane world, once had an important place within the movement, especially represented by [[Mordecai Kaplan]]. After Kaplan's [[Reconstructionist Judaism|Reconstructionism]] fully coalesced into an independent movement, these views were marginalized.<ref>''”If you are My witnesses...”'', pp. 41, 59.; Gordis, 353–354.</ref>

A similarly inconclusive position is expressed toward other precepts. Most theologians adhere to the [[immortality of the soul]], but while references to the [[resurrection of the dead]] are maintained, English translations of the prayers obscure the issue. In ''Emet'', it was stated that death is not tantamount to the end of one's personality. Relating to the [[Messiah in Judaism|Messiah]], the movement rephrased most petitions for the restoration of the [[Korban|sacrifices]] into past tense, rejecting a renewal of animal offerings, though not opposing a [[Gathering of Israel|return to Zion]] and even a [[Third Temple]]. The 1988 platform announced that "some" believe in classic eschatology, but dogmatism in this matter was "philosophically unjustified". The notions of the [[election of Israel]] and God's covenant with it were basically retained as well.<ref>[[Elliot N. Dorff]], ''Conservative Judaism: Our Ancestors To Our Descendants'', United Synagogue New York, 1996. pp. 49 ,201-202; [[Martha Himmelfarb]], ''Resurrection'', in: Adele Berlin (ed.), ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion'', Oxford University Press, 2011. p. 624</ref>

===Revelation===
Conservative conception of [[revelation]] encompasses an extensive spectrum. Zecharias Frankel himself applied critical-scientific methods to analyze the stages in the development of the [[Oral Torah]], pioneering modern study of the [[Mishnah]]. He regarded [[Chazal]] as innovators who added their own original contribution to the canon, not merely as expounders and interpreters of a legal system given in its entirety to [[Moses]] on Mount Sinai. Yet he also vehemently rejected utilizing these disciplines in the Pentateuch, maintaining it was beyond human reach and wholly celestial in origin. Frankel never elucidated his beliefs, and the exact correlation between human and divine in his thought is still subject to scholarly debate.<ref name="MM">Michael Meyer, ''Response to Modernity: A History of the Reform Movement in Judaism'', Wayne State, 1995. pp. 84–89, 414.</ref> A similar negative approach toward [[Higher Criticism]], while accepting an evolutionary understanding of Oral Law, defined Rabbi [[Alexander Kohut]], [[Solomon Schechter]] and the early generation of American Conservative Judaism. When JTS faculty began to embrace Biblical criticism in the 1920s, they adapted a consistent theological view: an original, verbal revelation did occur at Sinai, but the text itself was composed by later authors. The latter, classified by Dorff as a relatively moderate metamorphosis of the old one, is still espoused by few traditionalist right-wing Conservative rabbis, though it is marginalized among senior leadership.<ref name="AS"/><ref>Dorff, pp. 103–105</ref>

A small but influential segment within the JTS and the movement adhered, from the 1930s, to Mordecai Kaplan's philosophy, denying any revelation but viewing all scripture as a purely human product. Along with other Reconstructionist tenets, it dwindled as the latter consolidated into a separate group. Kaplan's views and the permeation of Higher Criticism gradually swayed most Conservative thinkers towards a non-verbal understanding of [[theophany]], which became dominant in the 1970s. This was in sync with the wider trend of lowering rates of Americans who accepted the Bible as the Word of God.<ref name="AS"/><ref>Dorff, pp. 107–108.</ref> Dorff categorized the proponents of this into two schools. One maintains that God projected some form of message that inspired the human authors of the Pentateuch to record what they perceived. The other is often strongly influenced by [[Franz Rosenzweig]] and other [[Jewish existentialism|existentialists]], but also attracted many [[Objectivity (philosophy)|Objectivists]] who consider human reason paramount. The second school states that God merely conferred his presence on those he influenced, without any communication, and the experience drove them to spiritual creativity. While they differ in the theoretical level surrounding revelation, both practically regard all scripture and religious tradition as a human product with certain divine inspiration—providing an understanding that recognizes Biblical criticism and also justifies major innovation in religious conduct. The first doctrine, advocated by such leaders as rabbis [[Ben-Zion Bokser]] and [[Robert Gordis]], largely imparted that some elements within Judaism are fully divine but determining which would be impractical and therefore received forms of interpretation should be basically upheld. Exponents of the latter view, among them rabbis [[Louis Jacobs]] and [[Neil Gillman]], also emphasized the encounter of God with the Jews as a collective and the role of religious authorities through the generations in determining what it implied. The stress on the supremacy of community and tradition, rather than individual consciousness, defines the entire spectrum of Conservative thought.<ref>Dorff, pp. 107–114.</ref>