supersessionism

thumb|Paul the Apostle is often cited by those who believe that Israelite religious law is no longer needed in observance. Supersessionism, also called fulfillment theology by its proponents and replacement theology by its detractors, is the Christian doctrine that the Christian Church has superseded the Jewish people, assuming their role as God's covenanted people, thus asserting that the New Covenant through Jesus has superseded or replaced the Mosaic covenant. Supersessionists hold that the universal Church has become God's "New Israel" and thus Christians are the people of God, not Jews.

Often claimed by later Christians to have originated with Paul the Apostle in the New Testament, supersessionism has been a core tenet of many Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Lutheran churches for most of their history. Many early Church Fathers—including Justin Martyr and Augustine of Hippo—were supersessionists.