Judaism · branch
Conservative (Masorti) Judaism
Halakhah is binding and also historically developed, so the law changes deliberately and slowly through a scholarly process. Sits between Orthodox and Reform on almost every axis, and does so on purpose.
What makes it unusual
The axes on which this tradition sits furthest from the middle of the matrix — which is to say, the positions that actually distinguish it.
- E3 Locus of belonginga people, inheritedFurther toward "a people, inherited" than most traditions in the matrix.
- E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional actFurther toward "an intentional act" than most traditions in the matrix.
- C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgmentFurther toward "one life, then judgment" than most traditions in the matrix.
- A3 Pluralitystrictly oneFurther toward "strictly one" than most traditions in the matrix.
All seventeen positions
Each cell carries a centre, a dispersion — how much internal variation the tradition genuinely tolerates — and the source the position rests on. Disagree with one? Say so; corrections are public and recorded.
The same seventeen values as a single shape, read clockwise from A1 at the top. The outline is where the tradition sits; the wider band around it is the variation it genuinely tolerates, so a tight outline is a tight tradition.
- position
- tolerated variation
A · The divine
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the natural → a divine reality certainly exists | a divine reality certainly existsEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.95 | 0.08 |
| A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address | leaning a personal being one can addressEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.82 | 0.12 |
| A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits | strictly oneEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it | between wholly beyond the world and fully present within itEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.55 | 0.15 |
B · Knowledge and authority
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience | leaning revealed and fixedEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.30 | 0.14 |
| B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all | between literal and binding and metaphorical, or no text at allEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.40 | 0.15 |
| B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides | leaning clergy and tradition decideEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.28 | 0.13 |
C · Self and destiny
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form | between ends at death and continues in some formEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.62 | 0.22 |
| C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return | one life, then judgmentEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.05 | 0.08 |
| C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound | leaning ignorant but fundamentally soundEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.72 | 0.13 |
D · Practice
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight | between given as grace and achieved by effort or insightEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.62 | 0.14 |
| D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent | essential and prescribedEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.12 | 0.10 |
| D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated | between to be disciplined and to be celebratedEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.48 | 0.15 |
E · World and others
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths | leaning many valid pathsEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.68 | 0.15 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural | an intentional actEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.08 | 0.08 |
| E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice | a people, inheritedEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.15 | 0.10 |
| E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred | between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredEmet Ve-Emunah (1988) and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards responsa | 0.48 | 0.14 |
Further reading
- Emet Ve-Emunah (1988) — A statement of principles that openly holds several positions at once.
- Heschel, God in Search of Man — Revelation as event rather than dictation — the B1 and B2 values.
Compared with
- Conservative (Masorti) Judaism and Orthodox Judaism
- Conservative (Masorti) Judaism and Bahá’í Faith
- Conservative (Masorti) Judaism and Anglicanism
- Conservative (Masorti) Judaism and Existentialism
- Conservative (Masorti) Judaism and Philosophical Naturalism
- Conservative (Masorti) Judaism and Secular Humanism
Where do you sit?
The questionnaire places your own answers on these same seventeen axes and reports how close you are to this tradition and to 64 others. Take it — eight to fourteen questions, nothing transmitted.