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Definition:
The word messiah literally means in Greek "annointed one" and, in religious
doctrines, refers to anyone who is anticipated or regarded as, or simply professes to
be, a savior or liberator.
The concept of messiah in western religions is derived from Jewish tradition in which priests, kings, or sometimes prophets were anointed with oil and expected to be either protectors or saviors of the Jewish people. The term is originally derived from the Hebrew word masiah, which means "anointed." Over time, the concept of messiah came to refer to one who was descended from the family of David and who was supposed to restore a united kingdom of both Israel and Judah.
Eventually the concept acquired new and different connotations. Some people believed that the eventual messianic age would be one of perfection and peace. Others simply regarded it as a time when everything would begin anew - but only after every evil thing was destroyed in divine judgement.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the anticipated Jewish messiah, although few Jews have ever accepted such a conclusion.
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Related Resources:
What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.
Further Reading:
The Messiah Before Jesus
Was Jesus really an innovative figure in Judaism, or was he instead the inheritor of a previously established belief system about the nature of the role of a Messiah? Traditional Christian opinions have ranged widely on this issue, with some saying that Jesus claimed a unique Messiah role, and others arguing that this was only claimed later by the Christian community, because it was totally unknown in Judaism. Knohl, however, argues that such a figure was not only known, but was filled by others before Jesus. He was not the first, and perhaps did not expect to be the last Messiah. Read Review...The First Messiah
About 100 years before the probable lifetime of Jesus, a man came to Jerusalem who eventually came to be called "The Teacher of Righteousness." Given the name Judah by author Michael O. Wise, this all-but-forgotten preacher and prophet prefigured the stories surrounding Jesus in a startling number of ways. Equally messianic figures, they both were were arrested and condemned by authorities due to their religious claims. Read Review...Hidden Gospels: How the Search for Jesus Lost its Way
In recent years, there has been a plethora of writings about "lost" gospels - documents of early Christian communities which are supposed to offer an alternative perspective on the nature of Christianity and, perhaps, the nature of Jesus. But do these "lost" gospels really offer us anything? Do they tell us anything about the earliest years of Christianity, or does their popularity instead tell us more about ourselves? Read More...The Human Christ: The Search for the Historical Jesus
Who was Jesus? Innumerable people - scholars and lay people alike - have wanted to answer that question and have therefore embarked upon a "quest for the historical Jesus." What has been the result of their efforts? According to Charlotte Allen, not very much. Allen argues that these "quests" reveal much more about the psychology and ideology of the questors and little or nothing about Jesus. Read More...
