Christian View of Jews as 'Others' is Basis for Anti-Semitism (original) (raw)
Iwould like to start my reflections with aquotefrom Isaac Asimov.Inthe first of his Foundation novels, this Russian-born American biochemist and science fiction writer has one of his characters remark that "violence is the lastr efugeo f the incompetent."¹ It is ak een observation-one that,Ibelieve, can be of use when studying the anti-Jewish sentiments that surface frequentlyine arlyC hristian literature of first few centuries of the Common Era.² Now,ofcourse, it goes without saying that it would be wrong genericallyto qualify the emergence of the advanced literary culturethat accompanies the rise of Christianityand that,infact,isone of its defining characteristics,asasign of incompetence. Even so, there is no denying that there is something deeplyunsettling about this literature all the same, specificallyinthe wayitdealswith others in general, and with Jews and Judaism in particular. EarlyC hristian discussions in this area raise fundamental questions. Such questions do not just concern the rationale for the invectivesthatemerge over the course of earlyChristian discussions that deal with Jews and Judaism. They also prompt us to reflect on the larger mechanisms that underlie these debates,aswell as on the social ramifications of the rhetoric strategies that characterize earlyC hristian thinking on the Jews. Before trying to highlight what Ib elievet ob et he crucial features in all of this, let me begin by stating that in this paper my thinkingo nt hese matters
Journal of Religion & Society 2 Supplement Series 1 sixties. This rising form of anti-Semitism in Europe has generated several strong responses from religious leaders. British Chief Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Sacks was joined by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams and the Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor in warning of the potential danger of this new anti-Semitic trend in their capacity as joint Presidents of the Council of Christians and Jews (see Church Leaders). And in a late December 2003 interview with the prominent Italian newspaper La Stampa Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, former President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, expressed concern that "There is a return of anti-Semitism in our Europe.. .. Not to recognize it, not to call it by its name is an unwitting way of accepting it" (quoted in Ha'aretz December 21, 2003). The Cardinal urged constant vigilance and frank solidarity with Jewish communities to combat the trend. So clearly anti-Semitism is a problem which continues to demand constant attention in our day. [3] My assignment here today is to present an overview of post biblical anti-Semitism, following up on Professor Hamm's analysis of forms of anti-Semitism in the New Testament (see also my work on New Testament anti-Semitism, 1986, 1996). But let me briefly state some connection with the controversy that has developed regarding Mel Gibson's upcoming film The Passion of the Christ, a controversy in which I have found myself a central figure. The joint Catholic-Jewish scholarly group convened by the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Department of Inter-religious Affairs of the Anti-Defamation League originally examined the script of the film in use at the time of the original filming in Rome. We did so because of the public claim by one of Mr. Gibson's associates, Fr. William Fulco, S.J. of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, who provided the Aramaic translations for the film. He indicated that the script was in total conformity with the Catholic Bishops' Guidelines on Passion Plays issued in 1998.
Anti-Semitic Christian Theologies-A Brief History
The Forgotten Age of Judah, 2021
Both "Replacement" Theology and Dispensation Theology make the assumption that at the time of the cross, or shortly thereafter, God discontinued His relationship with the Jews and "favored" the Church instead. Not only does the Bible fail to support this assumption, the reader will discover that the Scriptures speak to the contrary. Although the errors of mainstream Christian thought are too complex to unpack in this introduction, the main fallacies about God's relationship with Judah stem from the following: 1. Ignoring the difference between the House of Israel and the House of Judah. 2. Applying verses about God's rejection of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to the Jews. 3. Assuming that "all Israel" was cut off, rather than restored, by the New Covenant. 4. Assuming that Messiah's mission had to do with choosing/favoring a new group of people and forsaking those whom He foreknew.
10. Christian Hatred of the Other: Theological Rhetoric vs. Political Reality
Fear and Loathing in the North, 2015
Any depiction of medieval antisemitism confronts the question of where to draw the line between verbal theological polemic and incitement to physical violence against the adversary. Irrational hatred could and did lead to the violence that fostered the portrayal of Western Christianity as a 'persecuting society'. 1 This also raises the question of the extent to which theological animosity was linked to real Others-contemporary Jews and Muslims. It can be difficult to precisely identify the distinction between theological adversary and religious-political enemy when examining the Crusades, Christian society's military or violent action against unbelievers within and without Western Europe. 2 This paper considers this distinction and the metaphorical portrayal of the enemy in three contexts. It first undertakes a comparative consideration of Peter the Venerable's anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim thought, viewing him as a touchstone of medieval Christian thought and rhetoric regarding the Other. Then, using medieval Scandinavia and the Baltic as a test case, it considers the question of whether anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence required the presence of the Other. It concludes with a comparison of the attitude toward the Other in the Latin East, where the adversary was an actual presence, and in Europe, where the adversary often assumed virtual form. 10.1 Peter the Venerable on Jews and Muslims Peter's virulent anti-Jewish attitude is well represented in his polemical treatise, Against the Inveterate Obduracy of the Jews. The publication of the critical edition of Peter's Adversus Judaeos in 1985 seems to have sparked renewed scholarly interest in this figure. 3 Various scholars have portrayed Peter as a landmark figure in Christian anti-Jewish polemic. Thus, Gavin Langmuir views Peter as defining antisemitism, 4 and Anna Abulafia, 5 Denise Bouthillier and
Jewish people and anti-Semitism (from the Middle Ages until 1918). Part 1
Teaching material to combat anti-Semitism, 2018
Hate and bias towards Jews are very old phenomena, that is spread and perpetuated for centuries, even where there are no Jews at all, or where they are only a numerically insignificant minority. As a conse uence of anti-Semitism, the Jews have been persecuted, disenfranchised, looted, exiled and killed many times throughout history. The most horrible anti-Semitic crime was the Holocaust-a genocide committed to exterminate all the Jews, which was systematically planned and executed by the German Nazis, their collaborators and helpers across Europe, during the World War II. Six million Jews were killed then. To understand anti-Semitism and learn how to counter it, on the one hand, we need to learn more about the Jews, their origins, their experiences and our common history, and on the other hand, we need to understand the mechanisms behind the prejudice, hate and violence, in this particular case against the Jews, as well as their far-reaching conse uences. ЈJews are both an ethnic and a religious community. Jewish religion is called Judaism. The Jews are an ancient people, whose history can be traced back for more than five thousand years. Originating from the ancient Middle East, Jews have been living as a minority dispersed all over the world for centuries. At certain periods, they lived in peace with other peoples, and contributed to the development of economy, culture and science, and yet, at other times, they became victims of persecution and expulsion. Nevertheless, they managed to foster and preserve the awareness of their identity and religion for centuries. The Jews lived together with other peoples on the territory of the Balkans, and the present-day Serbia, for centuries. Throughout the years, the Jewish community has made a major contribution to the economic and cultural development of Serbia. In the most difficult times of the twentieth century, the Jews from Serbia, and later from Yugoslavia, have many times shared the same fate with the Serbs. During the World War II, more than 80 of Yugoslav Jewry perished in the Holocaust. Today, the Jewish community in Serbia is small, with active community organizations in several cities, with their seat in Belgrade. We study about anti-Semitism not only because it is our civilizational, moral, and human obligation, but also because by learning about our coexistence with the Jews, we learn about our own history, and ourselves and we understand it better. In addition, the process of adopting contemporary values of tolerance, non-discrimination and respect for human and civil rights as universal values, began after the World War II, when the world was confronted by the horrors