Matthew H . Brittingham | Emory University (original) (raw)

Book Reviews by Matthew H . Brittingham

Reading Religion, 2021

is gone, but the idea of Judeo-Bolshevism refuses to go away" (4). With a focus on Europe, partic... more is gone, but the idea of Judeo-Bolshevism refuses to go away" (4). With a focus on Europe, particularly central and eastern Europe, the book explores how the Judeo-Bolshevik myth-a supposed "transhistorical global conspiracy by Jews to destroy Western civilization" (4)-emerged, spread, and was transformed. The strength of Hanebrinkʼs analysis lies in his ability to contextualize the different individuals and political regimes that found (and in some cases still find) the Judeo-Bolshevik myth particularly compelling. The author outlines his approach in the introduction, citing the work of Shulamit Volkov, who, in the context she studied (nineteenth-century Germany), suggested that "antisemitic language offered users a way to interpret multiple dislocations caused by economic modernization, democratization, and cultural pluralism" (6). Paying specific attention to the contexts in which the paranoia of Judeo-Bolshevism reared its head reminds us that "long continuities across centuries shaped the tropes used and reused in anti-Jewish language. But the cultural logic of antisemitism functioned differently from one historical context to another" (7).

Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 2021

Journal for the Study of Radicalism, 2020

304 pages. $35.95 (hardcover), ISBN 978-1-472-50931-4.

Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses, 2019

Studies in Popular Culture, 2019

Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies, 2019

Journal of Religion, Film, and Media, 2019

Journal of Festive Studies, 2019

Conference Papers by Matthew H . Brittingham

Completed Papers by Matthew H . Brittingham

Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism, 2021

A new area of research on the individual, familial, communal, and societal impacts of genetic anc... more A new area of research on the individual, familial, communal, and societal impacts of genetic ancestry tests (GATs) has focused on how racists and antisemites respond to personal GATs. In this article, I analyze the use of GATs in Marching to Zion (2015), a “documen- tary” advancing antisemitic tropes written and coproduced by Steven L. Anderson, Christian conspiracist and pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, AZ. Marching to Zion is an attempt to prove to Christian Zionists that their theological views regarding Jews, Judaism, and the State of Israel are misguided. Toward the end of the film, Anderson reveals his personal GAT results and those of a relative as part of an argument against Christian Zionism. Perhaps surprisingly, he welcomes the diversity indicated in his results, even welcoming indications of Jewish ancestry. With close textual analysis of several scenes, in conversation with close textual analysis of Anderson’s blogposts and sermons, I consider why Anderson, an antisemite, embraces Jewish ancestry and how he frames his GAT results in Marching to Zion and other media. Borrowing from the work of Dory Fox, I argue that Anderson marshals his GAT to challenge what he believes to be the Christian Zionist “conception of Jewish genetic ancestry as particularly potent,” here signaling the idea that Jewish ancestry should play a formative role in determining the Christian’s understanding of and relationship to Jews, Judaism, and Israel. I set aside validating or invalidating Anderson’s claim to Jewishness to address his construction of scientific authority and religious authority in the cinematic reveal of Jewish ancestry. I also examine how he mobilizes antisemitic conspiracies while proclaiming he is not an antisemite.

Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism, 2020

In the last several decades, research on the population genetics of the Jewish people, what has b... more In the last several decades, research on the population genetics of the Jewish people, what has been popularly called “Jewish genetics,” has captivated scientists and the public. In turn, scholars in the humanities and social sciences have noted the impacts of DNA testing on the Jewish identities of communities, families, and individuals. Few studies in contemporary antisemitism, however, have focused on how antisemites dialogue with Jewish genetics. In this article, I consider the Christian conspiracist writer and radio personality Texe Marrs (1944–2019), an antisemite who recently showed interest in Jewish genetic research purporting to support the Khazarian hypothesis, culminating in a 2013 book, "DNA Science and the Jewish Bloodline." I show how Marrs mobilized recent research on Jewish genetics to denounce Christian Zionists, demonize Jews and Judaism, and delegitimize the State of Israel. Though Marrs died in November 2019, he was part of a much larger network of Christian conspiracists who drew from an archive of Jew-hatred. Where relevant, I address the work of other antisemitic Christian conspiracists in Marrs’s circle and consider the antisemitic sources upon which he drew.

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal, 2020

From his pulpit at Faithful Word Baptist Church (Independent Fundamental Baptist) in Tempe, AZ, f... more From his pulpit at Faithful Word Baptist Church (Independent Fundamental Baptist) in Tempe, AZ, fundamentalist preacher Steven L. Anderson launches screeds against Catholics, LGBTQ people, evolutionary scientists, politicians, and anyone else who doesn't share his political, social, or theological views. Anderson publishes clips of his sermons on YouTube, where he has amassed a notable following. Teaming up with Paul Wittenberger of Framing the World, a small-time film company, Anderson produced a film about the connections between Christianity, Judaism, and Israel, entitled Marching to Zion (2015), which was laced with antisemitic stereotypes. Anderson followed Marching to Zion with an almost 40-minute YouTube video espousing Holocaust denial, entitled “Did the Holocaust Really Happen?” In this article, I analyze Anderson's Holocaust denial video in light of his theology, prior films, and connections to other Christian conspiracists, most notably Texe Marrs. I particularly show how Anderson frames the “Holocaust myth,” as he calls it, in light of a deeper spiritual warfare that negatively impacts the spread of Christianity.

Genealogy, 2019

In 2012, the Christian evangelical organization Focus on the Family published Escape to the Hidin... more In 2012, the Christian evangelical organization Focus on the Family published Escape to the Hiding Place, the ninth book in Adventures in Odyssey’s Imagination Station book series. This short children’s book is a creative reimagining of Corrie ten Boom’s Holocaust memoir The Hiding Place (1971). Corrie was a Christian who lived in Haarlem during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Corrie and her family helped hide Jews and non-Jews from arrest and deportation at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators. Corrie’s story has played a significant role in the evangelical Christian encounter with the Holocaust. Like every Imagination Station story, Escape to the Hiding Place features two cousins, Patrick and Beth, from the fictional town of Odyssey. They travel back in time to help Jews escape the Nazis, all so they can learn a lesson about their ability to aid others in need. A harrowing adventure ensues. This paper does not criticize the valuable rescue work undertaken by Christians during the Holocaust, nor does it criticize the contemporary evangelical desire to draw meaning from Christian rescue work. Rather, the fictional narrative under consideration skews toward an overly simplistic representation of the Christian response to the murder of Jews during World War Two, contains a flat reading of Dutch society during the war, and fails to address antisemitism or racism. This paper situates Escape to the Hiding Place within a wider evangelical popular culture that has struggled with the history of the Holocaust apart from redemptive Christian biographies.

Papers by Matthew H . Brittingham

In geveb, 2023

A seg ment from the seri al iza tion of Mal itz's Di Heym un Di Froy, print ed on August 24, 1919... more A seg ment from the seri al iza tion of Mal itz's Di Heym un Di Froy, print ed on August 24, 1919 in Der morgn zhur nal. The man u al was orig i nal ly pub lished as a book in New York City in 1918. Image cour tesy of The His tor i cal Jew ish Press project.

Teach: Journal of Christian Education, 2019

Teaching the history of the Holocaust is certainly complicated in a number of educational setting... more Teaching the history of the Holocaust is certainly complicated in a number of educational settings. However, in the attempt to make the Holocaust relevant we are all susceptible to glossing over key historical facts. Since we live an age of some anxiety over the future of Holocaust memory and Holocaust education, educators should teach Holocaust history without flattening it for the sake of certain outcomes. They should offer an approach that wrestles with the specificities of the Holocaust and considers contextual factors in the lives of individuals.

Flow: A Critical Forum on Media and Culture, 2019

This essay considers an event that took place in season 15 of ABC’s reality TV show "The Bachelor... more This essay considers an event that took place in season 15 of ABC’s reality TV show "The Bachelorette" (2003-present). Bachelorette Hannah Brown of Tuscaloosa, AL and contestant Luke Parker of Gainesville, GA had a very intense discussion about sex, faith, and the Fantasy Suite--a room where the bachelor/bachelorette can become intimate with contestants, if they so choose. Both are professing Christians and in that moment of discussion Luke said that he would question Hannah's faith if she were to take contestants into the Fantasy Suite. Hannah protested and revealed, “I have had sex... and Jesus still loves me,” among other things she said. The exchange immediately spilled onto social media and occupied the news for the next several weeks. I consider the media carousel and framing of the discussion surrounding Hannah's sexuality and Christianity.

Reading Religion, 2021

is gone, but the idea of Judeo-Bolshevism refuses to go away" (4). With a focus on Europe, partic... more is gone, but the idea of Judeo-Bolshevism refuses to go away" (4). With a focus on Europe, particularly central and eastern Europe, the book explores how the Judeo-Bolshevik myth-a supposed "transhistorical global conspiracy by Jews to destroy Western civilization" (4)-emerged, spread, and was transformed. The strength of Hanebrinkʼs analysis lies in his ability to contextualize the different individuals and political regimes that found (and in some cases still find) the Judeo-Bolshevik myth particularly compelling. The author outlines his approach in the introduction, citing the work of Shulamit Volkov, who, in the context she studied (nineteenth-century Germany), suggested that "antisemitic language offered users a way to interpret multiple dislocations caused by economic modernization, democratization, and cultural pluralism" (6). Paying specific attention to the contexts in which the paranoia of Judeo-Bolshevism reared its head reminds us that "long continuities across centuries shaped the tropes used and reused in anti-Jewish language. But the cultural logic of antisemitism functioned differently from one historical context to another" (7).

Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 2021

Journal for the Study of Radicalism, 2020

304 pages. $35.95 (hardcover), ISBN 978-1-472-50931-4.

Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses, 2019

Studies in Popular Culture, 2019

Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies, 2019

Journal of Religion, Film, and Media, 2019

Journal of Festive Studies, 2019

Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism, 2021

A new area of research on the individual, familial, communal, and societal impacts of genetic anc... more A new area of research on the individual, familial, communal, and societal impacts of genetic ancestry tests (GATs) has focused on how racists and antisemites respond to personal GATs. In this article, I analyze the use of GATs in Marching to Zion (2015), a “documen- tary” advancing antisemitic tropes written and coproduced by Steven L. Anderson, Christian conspiracist and pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, AZ. Marching to Zion is an attempt to prove to Christian Zionists that their theological views regarding Jews, Judaism, and the State of Israel are misguided. Toward the end of the film, Anderson reveals his personal GAT results and those of a relative as part of an argument against Christian Zionism. Perhaps surprisingly, he welcomes the diversity indicated in his results, even welcoming indications of Jewish ancestry. With close textual analysis of several scenes, in conversation with close textual analysis of Anderson’s blogposts and sermons, I consider why Anderson, an antisemite, embraces Jewish ancestry and how he frames his GAT results in Marching to Zion and other media. Borrowing from the work of Dory Fox, I argue that Anderson marshals his GAT to challenge what he believes to be the Christian Zionist “conception of Jewish genetic ancestry as particularly potent,” here signaling the idea that Jewish ancestry should play a formative role in determining the Christian’s understanding of and relationship to Jews, Judaism, and Israel. I set aside validating or invalidating Anderson’s claim to Jewishness to address his construction of scientific authority and religious authority in the cinematic reveal of Jewish ancestry. I also examine how he mobilizes antisemitic conspiracies while proclaiming he is not an antisemite.

Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism, 2020

In the last several decades, research on the population genetics of the Jewish people, what has b... more In the last several decades, research on the population genetics of the Jewish people, what has been popularly called “Jewish genetics,” has captivated scientists and the public. In turn, scholars in the humanities and social sciences have noted the impacts of DNA testing on the Jewish identities of communities, families, and individuals. Few studies in contemporary antisemitism, however, have focused on how antisemites dialogue with Jewish genetics. In this article, I consider the Christian conspiracist writer and radio personality Texe Marrs (1944–2019), an antisemite who recently showed interest in Jewish genetic research purporting to support the Khazarian hypothesis, culminating in a 2013 book, "DNA Science and the Jewish Bloodline." I show how Marrs mobilized recent research on Jewish genetics to denounce Christian Zionists, demonize Jews and Judaism, and delegitimize the State of Israel. Though Marrs died in November 2019, he was part of a much larger network of Christian conspiracists who drew from an archive of Jew-hatred. Where relevant, I address the work of other antisemitic Christian conspiracists in Marrs’s circle and consider the antisemitic sources upon which he drew.

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal, 2020

From his pulpit at Faithful Word Baptist Church (Independent Fundamental Baptist) in Tempe, AZ, f... more From his pulpit at Faithful Word Baptist Church (Independent Fundamental Baptist) in Tempe, AZ, fundamentalist preacher Steven L. Anderson launches screeds against Catholics, LGBTQ people, evolutionary scientists, politicians, and anyone else who doesn't share his political, social, or theological views. Anderson publishes clips of his sermons on YouTube, where he has amassed a notable following. Teaming up with Paul Wittenberger of Framing the World, a small-time film company, Anderson produced a film about the connections between Christianity, Judaism, and Israel, entitled Marching to Zion (2015), which was laced with antisemitic stereotypes. Anderson followed Marching to Zion with an almost 40-minute YouTube video espousing Holocaust denial, entitled “Did the Holocaust Really Happen?” In this article, I analyze Anderson's Holocaust denial video in light of his theology, prior films, and connections to other Christian conspiracists, most notably Texe Marrs. I particularly show how Anderson frames the “Holocaust myth,” as he calls it, in light of a deeper spiritual warfare that negatively impacts the spread of Christianity.

Genealogy, 2019

In 2012, the Christian evangelical organization Focus on the Family published Escape to the Hidin... more In 2012, the Christian evangelical organization Focus on the Family published Escape to the Hiding Place, the ninth book in Adventures in Odyssey’s Imagination Station book series. This short children’s book is a creative reimagining of Corrie ten Boom’s Holocaust memoir The Hiding Place (1971). Corrie was a Christian who lived in Haarlem during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Corrie and her family helped hide Jews and non-Jews from arrest and deportation at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators. Corrie’s story has played a significant role in the evangelical Christian encounter with the Holocaust. Like every Imagination Station story, Escape to the Hiding Place features two cousins, Patrick and Beth, from the fictional town of Odyssey. They travel back in time to help Jews escape the Nazis, all so they can learn a lesson about their ability to aid others in need. A harrowing adventure ensues. This paper does not criticize the valuable rescue work undertaken by Christians during the Holocaust, nor does it criticize the contemporary evangelical desire to draw meaning from Christian rescue work. Rather, the fictional narrative under consideration skews toward an overly simplistic representation of the Christian response to the murder of Jews during World War Two, contains a flat reading of Dutch society during the war, and fails to address antisemitism or racism. This paper situates Escape to the Hiding Place within a wider evangelical popular culture that has struggled with the history of the Holocaust apart from redemptive Christian biographies.

In geveb, 2023

A seg ment from the seri al iza tion of Mal itz's Di Heym un Di Froy, print ed on August 24, 1919... more A seg ment from the seri al iza tion of Mal itz's Di Heym un Di Froy, print ed on August 24, 1919 in Der morgn zhur nal. The man u al was orig i nal ly pub lished as a book in New York City in 1918. Image cour tesy of The His tor i cal Jew ish Press project.

Teach: Journal of Christian Education, 2019

Teaching the history of the Holocaust is certainly complicated in a number of educational setting... more Teaching the history of the Holocaust is certainly complicated in a number of educational settings. However, in the attempt to make the Holocaust relevant we are all susceptible to glossing over key historical facts. Since we live an age of some anxiety over the future of Holocaust memory and Holocaust education, educators should teach Holocaust history without flattening it for the sake of certain outcomes. They should offer an approach that wrestles with the specificities of the Holocaust and considers contextual factors in the lives of individuals.

Flow: A Critical Forum on Media and Culture, 2019

This essay considers an event that took place in season 15 of ABC’s reality TV show "The Bachelor... more This essay considers an event that took place in season 15 of ABC’s reality TV show "The Bachelorette" (2003-present). Bachelorette Hannah Brown of Tuscaloosa, AL and contestant Luke Parker of Gainesville, GA had a very intense discussion about sex, faith, and the Fantasy Suite--a room where the bachelor/bachelorette can become intimate with contestants, if they so choose. Both are professing Christians and in that moment of discussion Luke said that he would question Hannah's faith if she were to take contestants into the Fantasy Suite. Hannah protested and revealed, “I have had sex... and Jesus still loves me,” among other things she said. The exchange immediately spilled onto social media and occupied the news for the next several weeks. I consider the media carousel and framing of the discussion surrounding Hannah's sexuality and Christianity.

Field Guide: Media Commons , 2019

For some time now scholars and journalists have been noting the double-edged sword of the digital... more For some time now scholars and journalists have been noting the double-edged sword of the digital revolution. While the Internet creates space for online community formation centered on respectful dialogue about politics, society, culture, ethnicity, etc., it also opens space for hate speech, violence, and other ills, providing a digital home for those who might seek to do harm offline.

"We Were Like Cancer Patients", 2019

alongside Levinas, an essay highlighting the blind spot of sexual difference.