The different sects or denominations of Judaism are generally referred to as movements.
The different sects or denominations of Judaism are generally referred to as movements. Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative and Orthodox.
As an "outside observer" (non-Jew) looking into Judaism, these "movements" seem more like parts of an ideological spectrum (left-wing and right-wing) -- some liberal, some more traditional.
They don't function like Christian denominations because it seems to be more about how the Jewish community works and how much it integrates/assimilates with wider society. I remember a while back someone saying that Orthodox was more collectivistic and Reform was more individualistic. This is different to Christianity in that it's not about theology.
I think denominations in Judaism would be more like -- Haredi, Hasidic vs Mitnagdim, Karaite vs Rabbinic, ........ Shabbatean, ....... running out of groups to name.
I wasn't able to name more than five or six groups. If I was to talk about 2,000 years ago, that would be easy -- Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots and Sadduccees.
The Essenes, Zealots and Sadduccees disappeared and for most of the last 2,000 years Judaism has been mostly ....... singly-denominational. Then along came the Karaites, Shabbateans and Hasidic Jews -- and a massive earthquake shook the Jews up and down. The Jewish community split into two and some could not figure out whether to believe in an Oral Torah, Sabbatai Zevi or miracle workers.
The Reform/Reconstructionist/Renewal/Conservative thing seems to be more of a response to modernism and secularism.
.......and to address the topic of the thread (as BB requested)........this post-denominational thing seems to be about that -- not an Oral Torah, messiahs or miracle workers.
