Judaism · branch
Reform Judaism
Ethical monotheism with autonomy at the centre: the individual decides which practices are binding, and the prophetic call to justice outranks ritual law. The widest dispersions in the Jewish family, and among the widest anywhere in the matrix.
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.
- 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.
- E3 Locus of belongingleaning a people, inheritedFurther toward "a people, inherited" than most traditions in the matrix.
- B3 Institutional authorityleaning individual conscience decidesFurther toward "individual conscience decides" 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 | leaning a divine reality certainly existsPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.78 | 0.20 |
| A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address | leaning a personal being one can addressPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.66 | 0.22 |
| A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits | strictly onePittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.02 | 0.04 |
| A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it | between wholly beyond the world and fully present within itPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.62 | 0.16 |
B · Knowledge and authority
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience | between revealed and fixed and reason and direct experiencePittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.62 | 0.15 |
| B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all | leaning metaphorical, or no text at allPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.72 | 0.13 |
| B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides | leaning individual conscience decidesPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.72 | 0.12 |
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 formPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.50 | 0.28 |
| C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return | one life, then judgmentPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.08 | 0.10 |
| C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound | leaning ignorant but fundamentally soundPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.78 | 0.12 |
D · Practice
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight | leaning achieved by effort or insightPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.70 | 0.14 |
| D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent | between essential and prescribed and optional or absentPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.48 | 0.16 |
| D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated | between to be disciplined and to be celebratedPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.62 | 0.15 |
E · World and others
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths | leaning many valid pathsPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.82 | 0.11 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural | leaning an intentional actPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.25 | 0.20 |
| E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice | leaning a people, inheritedPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.28 | 0.14 |
| E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred | between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredPittsburgh Platform (1885) and the Columbus (1937) / Centenary (1976) statements | 0.58 | 0.14 |
Further reading
- The Pittsburgh Platform (1885) — The sharpest historical statement of the B3 and D2 positions.
- A Statement of Principles for Reform Judaism (1999) — The partial return to practice, which is why D2 is not higher.
Compared with
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.