Most of these texts are missing from the the standard Vilna edition of these works, and are assumed to have been deleted by the censors. For whatever reason, the Code of Jewish Law has not made use of these supporting texts.

In Moreh Nevuchim~~, however~~, Maimonides writes that Christianity has a mistaken understanding of G-d, similar to those who assign attributes to Him.<ref>Moreh Nevuchim (1:50)</ref> This might imply that Christianity is a min (deviant sect), which is perhaps a step up from idolatry.

In his Epistles to Yemen, Maimonides implied that Christianity was idolatry, but he also says Christianity has a role to play in G-d's plan by "preparing the way for the Messiah's coming and the improvement of the entire world..."<ref>Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Melachim U'Milchamoteihem</ref>

:It has already been stated that these things [laws relating to gentiles] were said concerning periods when there existed nations of idolaters, and they were contaminated in their deeds and tainted in their dispositions . . . but other nations, which are restrained by the ways of religion and which are free from such blemishes of character - on the contrary, they even punish such deeds - are, without doubt, exempt from this prohibition.<ref>Meiri, Bet Habechirah, Avodah Zarah, 53. See also, ibid., 39, 46, 48, 59 and in many other places in his writings.</ref>

According to Meiri, all mishnaic rules circumscribing business and other transactions with non-Jews are to be understood as referring to pagan or polytheistic cultures, no longer extant, which in addition to being idolatrous were also unprincipled in their dealings with people. That has now changed. The nations amongst whom Jews lived were now "restrained by the ways of religion" and were therefore to be regarded as on a par with the ~~"resident alien"~~ ''[{Ger Toshav]]'' of biblical times, namely as ~~"the pious of the nations of the world~~''[[Chasidei Umos HaOlam]]''."<ref>Much has been written about Meiri's conceptual leap in relation to non-Jews: see Jacob Katz, Exclusiveness and Tolerance, New York, Behrman House, 1961, 114-128; Ephraim Urbach, "Shitat Hasovlanut shel Rabbi Menahem Hameiri," in E. Etkes (ed), Perakim beToldot haHevrah haYehudit, Jerusalem, 1980, 34-44; M. Halbertal, Bein Torah leChokhmah, Jerusalem, Magnes Press, 2000, 80-108.</ref>

R. Moses Rivkes gives halakhic expression to the difference between pagan and monotheistic gentile cultures:

:R. Elazar ben Azaryah said, "If there is no Torah there is no culture [derekh eretz]" - The word "Torah" here cannot be meant literally, since there are many ignorant people who have not learned it, and many pious among the gentiles who do not keep the Torah and yet are ethical and people of culture. Rather, the correct interpretation seems to me to be that every people has its own religion [dat Eloki] which comprises three foundational principles, [a] belief in a revealed Torah, [b] belief in [Divine] reward and punishment, and [c] belief in an afterlife (they disagree merely on the interpretation of these principles). These three principles are what are called here "Torah".<ref>Tiferet Yisrael to Avot 3:17.</ref>

Zevi Yehudah Kook (1891-1982) was a rabbi, leader of the Religious Zionist, Mizrachi movement in Israel, on the other hand resurrects many of the classic anti-Christian polemics with a vigor not seen for centuries. Among them: Christianity should be dismissed as an internal Jewish heresy; G-d the creator clearly cannot be a man; the Jewish G-d is alive whereas the Christian’s is dead. Christianity is the refuse of Israel, in line with the purpoted ancient Talmudic portrayals of Jesus as boiling in excrement.<ref>Zevi Yehudah Kook, Judaism and Christianity [Hebrew] (Beit El: 2001).</ref>

Rabbi Yaakov Emden (1697-1776) wrote:

Citing Acts 15, Emden argues that the founders of Christianity were not engaged in creating a new religion but rather bringing the Noahide covenant and its seven laws to the gentiles. That is why they did not require their followers to observe the Sabbath or the command of circumcision (which do not apply to non-Jews). Only later did Christians (mistakenly, Emden argues) see their faith as a rival to and replacement of Judaism. Emden urges Christians to go back to their own first principles. If they did so they would "bring their people to love the ancient Children of Israel who remain loyal to their G-d, as indeed commanded to Christians by their original teachers."

Harvey Falk, who is a contemporary orthodox Jew, in his book ''Jesus the Pharisee'' proposes that the spread of the Noahide laws may have been an important part of Jesus' intentions, as well as those of his early followers (see also [[Council of Jerusalem]]).

==References==

==Bibliography==

* [http://www.chiefrabbi.org/dd/views.html Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Judaic Views of Christianity and Islam] (Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom)

* [http://www.bc.edu/research/cjl/meta-elements/texts/cjrelations/resources/articles/Brill.htm Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill, Judaism and Other Religions: An Orthodox perspective]

* Jacob Katz, Exclusiveness and Tolerance, New York, Behrman House, 1961, 114-128

* Ephraim Urbach, "Shitat Hasovlanut shel Rabbi Menahem Hameiri," in E. Etkes (ed), Perakim beToldot haHevrah haYehudit, Jerusalem, 1980, 34-44

* M. Halbertal, Bein Torah leChokhmah, Jerusalem, Magnes Press, 2000, 80-108.

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