Survey: a fifth of Jewish millennials believe Jesus was 'God in human form'

A survey conducted by Barna group has found that a fifth of Jewish millennials believe that Jesus Christ was "God in human form who lived among people in the first century."

The new survey of 599 Jews born between 1984 and 1999 has found that 21 percent believe that Jesus was God in human form, while 29 percent believe that he was a rabbi or "rabbi or spiritual leader, but not God." Forty-two percent of the respondents admitted that they celebrate Christmas.

According to Times of Israel, the study was commissioned and funded by the Jews for Jesus, a San Francisco-based evangelical group that seeks to draw Jews toward belief in Christ.

The report, titled "Jewish Millennials: The Beliefs and Behaviors Shaping Young Jews in America," was published this week and sent to the media with endorsements by Jewish studies professors.

The study found that Jewish millennials are more likely to consider themselves to be "spiritual" and have more interest in faith and spirituality compared to other generations.

Susan Perlman, director of communications for Jews for Jesus, said that the results of the survey was "very hopeful from our perspective."

"This was a generation that was spiritual, that is willing to engage in the subject of whether or not Jesus might be the Messiah. All we can ask for is an open mind to engage with the Bible, engage with the culture and look at the possibilities," she continued.

Ari Kelman, who teaches Jewish studies at Stanford University, admitted that he was somewhat comfortable about a study commissioned by Jews for Jesus, but he acknowledged the credentials of the Barna Group, which specializes in polls about religion.

"They were good social scientists with skin in the game," he said. "Most people who fund research on American Jews also come with an agenda, and I've been in this world long enough to know that the people who fund that research don't interfere. They don't cook the books," he went on to say.

Other findings indicated that a majority of Jewish millennials believe that one can hold other faiths and still be Jewish, while a third believe that "God desires a personal relationship with us."

A majority of Jewish millennials are not affiliated with a major religious denomination, and only about one in 10 believe that Israel is central to Judaism. Almost 40 percent of the respondents identified themselves as liberal, while 24 percent considered themselves as conservative.

About a quarter of the respondents have been on Birthright, the free 10-day trip to Israel for young Jewish adults.

Some of the results echo the findings of a Pew study conducted four years ago. The earlier study found that a third of all respondents had a Christmas tree at home and 34 percent said that belief in Jesus as the Messiah was compatible with being Jewish.

The Times of Israel noted that around 58 percent of the respondents in the Barna survey are children of interfaith marriages, about 10 points more than in the Pew study, which generally used a slightly narrower definition of being Jewish.

There are about 5 million to 6 million Jews in the United States. According to the Jews for Jesus website, an estimated 30,000 to 125,000 Jews across the globe believe in Jesus.