Judaism varies from Christianity and Islam in its lack of emphasis on

• A. an afterlife
• B. ritual fasting
• C. monotheism
• D. dietary laws

Answer: (A)

Judaism places greater emphasis on living according to the covenant and the ethical duties of daily life here and now, rather than presenting a single, central doctrine about what happens after death. While ideas about an afterlife or world to come exist in Jewish thought, they are diverse and not the primary focus of belief and practice across the tradition. The guiding concerns tend to be mitzvot, justice, community, learning, and repairing the world, which keeps the emphasis on this-worldly living rather than on a definitive afterlife narrative. In Christianity and Islam, by contrast, beliefs about judgment and eternal destiny—heaven, hell, paradise—are more explicitly articulated and play a central role in shaping doctrine and practice.

Ritual fasting, monotheism, and dietary laws all have strong, well-defined roles within Judaism as well as in Christianity or Islam, so they don’t capture what distinguishes Judaism in this regard.