Description
Book SynopsisThe vexed and sometimes shocking story of Martin Luther, one of the most important figures in modern European history, and his increasingly vitriolic attitudes towards the Jews - as well as the ominous legacy of Luther's anti-semitism for the future of Germany in the centuries to come
Trade ReviewThis is a learned, well-written, and carefully argued examination of Martin Luther's writings and the place of anti-Jewish motifs and arguments in many of these works. * Scott Ury, Tel Aviv University, Religious Studies Review *
This book is a remarkable and timely volume that is the result of the confluence of a number of important lines of inquiry in epistemology, philosophy of religion and theology. . . this text provides helpful standalone essays that can accompany units on standard issues within the theology curriculum. . . the constructive systematician will find in many of these essays valuable guidance regarding how to go about constructive work in a manner that is epistemically responsible. . . This volume excels as such a cardinal text and will be a required resource for any wishing to make a future contribution to theological topics that touch in any way on epistemic issues. * International Journal of Systematic Theology *
As this short, scholarly, and brilliantly-illuminating study shows, the line between anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism is both blurry and easily breached... No one is better able to make sense of Luthers views than Kaufmann, who has been working on the subject for the best part of 40 years. With a complete mastery of Luthers writings and the context in which he wrote, he uncovers the particular prompts that led Luther to sound so contradictory, while he also reveals the continuities in his thought. * William Whyte, Church Times *
Scrupulously fair, crisply translated and surprisingly relevant. * Tom Moriarty, The Irish Times *
Excellent * Peter Marshall, Tablet *
An immaculately scrupulous and compelling study * Edward Pearce, Tribune *
By showing the depth of Luther's anti-Judaism, and his commitment to early-modern anti-Semitism, Kaufmann hopes to break the reverence Protestants have for Luther, for this has retarded their efforts to come to terms with their relationship to the Jews after the Holocaust (151). Kaufmann does not hold Luther directly responsible for the Holocaust, but he insists that he was a factor in helping to make it possible. Hence, the only way forward is to accept 'that we can no more put our faith blindly in Luther's theology than responsible 21st century adults would voluntarily place themselves in the hands of a 16th-century surgeon' (11). * Reading Religion *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: 'Luther's Jews' - an unavoidable topic 1: Neighbours yet strangers - Jews on the fringes of Luther's world 2: The Church's Enemies - Luther's early theological position on the Jews 3: The Jews' Friend? Luther's 'Reformation' of Attitudes towards the Jews 4: Hopes disappointed, expectations fulfilled: The late 1520s and the 1530s 5: The Final Battle for the Bible: Luther's Vicious Writings 6: Mixed Responses: The History of the Reception of Luther's Attitude to the Jews from the 16th to the 20th Century Conclusion: A Fallible Human Being Sources and bibliography Index
