Category talk:Judeo-Christian topics

This category's name

I would like to suggest that "Judeo-Christian topics" is not the proper name for a category that "refers to a set of beliefs and ethics held in common by Judaism and Christianity". As it exists right now, this title properly includes all those topics plus additional topics of overlaps where the beliefs are not shared. Either this category's name should change, or else the scope of its focus should be redefined on the category page. Evensteven (talk) 21:57, 7 July 2014 (UTC)

Wouldn't those "additions topics of overlaps" be covered by Category:Christianity and Judaism? If not, what would you suggest for a new category name, or what do you think the scope of the category should be? Editor2020 02:38, 8 July 2014 (UTC)

Yes, I think you are right that the additions would pretty much be covered by Category:Christianity and Judaism. So if the name "Judeo-Christian topics" is preserved, the two would merge into the one. I can only think there must be some reason why a separation was created in the first place, but that particular division makes little sense to me and I wanted to take the opportunity for a merge if that seemed acceptable to others. But if the definition and category pair are to be retained, a new name is called for, because there is nothing in the "Judeo-Christian topics" title that implies agreement or sameness of viewpoint between Jews and Christians. The title's natural meaning is currently identical to "Christianity and Judaism", the theoretical merged topic. I don't have a single new name to propose here, although I suspect that in order to find one, the words "commonality" or "shared" or something of the sort are going to be needed, and "topics" is going to have to go. It is shared belief or tradition or view or [other?] that ties this idea for a category together, not a mere overlap of topic. "Commonalities between Christianity and Judaism"? That doesn't have a ring of elegance about it, but it might be serviceable. Evensteven (talk) 13:38, 8 July 2014 (UTC)

Dear Evensteven and Editor2020, thanks for your observations. Please note that I posted a CfD in May about merging this :Category:Judeo-Christian topics into Category:Christianity and Judaism but the proposal has meanwhile been rejected. I doubt if it's possible that one of you repost this proposal within such a short time frame, but if it is possible I'll definitely support it. In my view, :Category:Christianity and Judaism is an entirely appropriate category name for anything that has to do with both Christianity and Judaism (including the articles in this :Category:Judeo-Christian topics) and hopefully quite a few articles can be put lower in the tree of :Category:Christianity and Judaism so that this high level category doesn't get overwhelmed with single articles.

A minor point of disagreement between us is that I'd rather classify a point of disagreement between Christianity and Judaism explicitly. I admit that in some cases, the term 'polemics' may be a bit strong but on the other hand the Category:Jewish-Christian debate is, so far, more about the debating history between Christianity and Judaism rather than about the debated content, so then I think 'polemics' is still the most appropriate. Marcocapelle (talk) 19:32, 8 July 2014 (UTC)

Debate is one thing, polemics are another. Polemics may be used in a debate; then again they may not; and these days they are usually not (because when the attacks get personal, actual debate tends to disappear). I'm not sure what the purpose would be of having a category (much less an article) whose focus is polemics. Polemics is a technique, and these days (though not historically) is often viewed (incorrectly) as necessarily consisting of belligerent and rancorous attack on persons. Historically, it mostly consisted of condemnatory attack upon an opposing view, and it was generally understood that such an attack was not personal. But it's not the polemics that contain much interest, really; it's the argument, the line of reasoning or thought. And any technique in debate, or discussion, or interchange of ideas is pertinent to a difference of view. Polemics are simply too narrow a focus to shed much light, even apart from the present insistence on overpersonalization. And for the record, that's also why I don't care for "controversy" much either, because its focus is often on the disagreeableness between persons rather than the differences of viewpoint. I don't happen to think that watching people fight is any way to shed light on anything. Evensteven (talk) 07:54, 9 July 2014 (UTC)