Origins of Rabbinic Judaism considered the Jews a most "philosophical" people because of their belief in a god that cannot be represented visually), and growing Jewish interest in Greek philosophy, which sought to establish universal truths, thus leading—potentially—to the idea of monotheism, at least in the sense that "all gods are one." It was also at this time that the notion of a clearly bounded Jewish nation identical with the Jewish religion formed. According to one scholar, the clash between the early Christians and Pharisees that ultimately led to the birth of the Christian religion and Rabbinic Judaism reflected the struggle by Jews to
Handbook of Denominations Handbook of Denominations The Handbook of Denominations, also known as Abingdon's Handbook of Denominations, by Frank S. Mead and Samuel Hill, is a reference work on religious denominations, particularly but not exclusively Christian ones, based in North America or extensively represented there (i.e., the Roman Catholic Church). Published by the Nashville, Tennessee-based United Methodist Publishing House, is intended to be an authoritative guide to the history, polity, and doctrines of various religious groups. The work is periodically updated to keep pace with changes in the groups chronicled and to document the formation of new groups. The book was ranked 323rd