The non-conversions of Jews and Gentiles to Messianic Judaism: A sense-making analysis of interpersonal and mass communicative influence on spiritual transformations.

摘要

Few studies have considered Messianic Judaism and only one prior to this writing from a perspective of communication. Consequently, Messianic Jews and their counterparts, Messianic Gentiles, remain an enigma to many. These faithful are often viewed with varying degrees of suspicion and curiosity by those unfamiliar with their beliefs and practices that incorporate the appurtenances of Judaism with a faith in Jesus of Nazareth as Yeshua---the Jewish Messiah. As its title declares, this study examines Messianic Judaism from the perspective of communication. It seeks insight as to how Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles came to their faith by considering the interpersonal and mass communicative influences that affected them. Conducted over a period of five years, this ethnographic investigation considers 15 Messianic Jews and 15 Messianic Gentiles associated with a Messianic synagogue in the United States. Utilizing in part Brenda Dervin's Sense-Making approach to methodology, including micro-moment timeline interviews, this study also examines how persons managed to construct their particular understanding of Messianic Judaism based on what had been previously communicated to them regarding both notions of Yeshua/Jesus and Judaism.