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Martin Luther, the Bible, and the Jewish People: A Reader
The place and significance of Martin Luther in the long history of Christian anti-Jewish polemic has been and continues to be a contested issue. It is true that Luther's anti-Jewish rhetoric intensified toward the end of his life, but reading Luther with a careful eye toward "the Jewish question," it becomes clear that Luther's theological presuppositions toward Judaism and the Jewish people are a central, core component of his thought throughout his career, not just at the end. It follows then that it is impossible to understand the heart and building blocks of Luther's theology without acknowledging the crucial role of "the Jews" in his fundamental thinking. Luther was constrained by ideas, images, and superstitions regarding the Jews and Judaism that he inherited from medieval Christian tradition. But the engine in the development of Luther's theological thought as it relates to the Jews is his biblical hermeneutics. Just as "the Jewish question" is a central, core component of his thought, so biblical interpretation (and especially Old Testament interpretation) is the primary arena in which fundamental claims about the Jews and Judaism are formulated and developed.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
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April 13, 2015
This book quotes heavily from Martin Luther's writings and I must say I was shocked and dismayed by Luther's attitude towards the Jewish people. I must also admit that I am embarrassed to say that I had never read any of this material before. Sure, I had heard that Luther had said some derogatory things about Jews, but I figured it was an odd remark or two probably taken out of context. In reality he seemed almost obsessed with denigrating the Jewish people and he desired to have them removed from his country.
I will not quote from Luther, read the book if you wish to see firsthand his animus towards the Jews. Two encouraging things in this book were the wise words of Josel the Jew as he responded to Martin Luther's booklet against the Jews, and the "Declaration of ELCA to the Jewish Community."
"Declaration of ELCA to the Jewish Community
The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on April 18, 1994, adopted the following document as a statement on Lutheran-Jewish relations: In the long history of Christianity there exists no more tragic development than the treatment accorded the Jewish people on the part of Christian believers. Very few Christian communities of faith were able to escape the contagion of anti-Judaism and its modern successor, anti-Semitism. Lutherans belonging to the Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America feel a special burden in this regard because of certain elements in the legacy of the reformer Martin Luther and the catastrophes, including the Holocaust of the twentieth century, suffered by Jews in places where the Lutheran churches were strongly represented. The Lutheran communion of faith is linked by name and heritage to the memory of Martin Luther, teacher and reformer. Honoring his name in our own, we recall his bold stand for truth, his earthy and sublime words of wisdom, and above all his witness to God’s saving Word. Luther proclaimed a gospel for people as we really are, bidding us to trust a grace sufficient to reach our deepest shames and address the most tragic truths. In the spirit of that truth-telling, we who bear his name and heritage must with pain acknowledge also Luther’s anti-Judaic diatribes and the violent recommendations of his later writings against the Jews. As did many of Luther’s own companions in the sixteenth century, we reject this violent invective, and yet more do we express our deep and abiding sorrow over its tragic effects on subsequent generations. In concert with the Lutheran World Federation, we particularly deplore the appropriation of Luther’s words by modern anti-Semites for the teaching of hatred toward Judaism or toward the Jewish people in our day. Grieving the complicity of our own tradition within this history of hatred, moreover, we express our urgent desire to live out our faith in Jesus Christ with love and respect for the Jewish people. We recognize in anti-Semitism a contradiction and an affront to the Gospel, a violation of our hope and calling, and we pledge this church to oppose the deadly working of such bigotry, both within our own circles and in the society around us. Finally, we pray for the continued blessing of the Blessed One upon the increasing cooperation and understanding between Lutheran Christians and the Jewish community."
Schramm, Brooks (2012-08-01). Martin Luther, the Bible, and the Jewish People . Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
"Honourable Sirs, my brethren have now been assaulted in a number of localities, in Meissen and within the jurisdictional authority of Braunschweig and its vicinity, on account of this booklet that was printed. In many places they have been cruelly oppressed, plundered, expelled, and injured in their persons and property, so I have been informed. Therefore, in the name of all the unfortunate Jews, I direct to you my humble request, that you will graciously consent to approach their Excellencies, the elector-princes of Saxony and Hesse. 14 They and their fathers, the late elector-princes, were always famous and esteemed for their benevolence and love of justice, and still are. Intercede with them, that they and the other members of the [Schmalkaldic] League, or each one individually, will show understanding, so that now, in these troubled times, they will continue to protect and deal mercifully with us unfortunate people as they did in the past, without any innovations, so that, contrary to former practice, we shall not be violently assaulted in the cities, market places and villages, or in the open fields... This is in order that ignorant persons will not ruthlessly molest and rob these unfortunate people, for nowhere {is it written} that God forbids compassion."
-Josel of Rosheim: Letter to the Strasbourg City Council (1543)
Schramm, Brooks (2012-08-01). Martin Luther, the Bible, and the Jewish People (pp. 185-186). Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
"Martin Luther never danced at a Jewish wedding. He never broke bread at Passover. He never shared a cup of Sabbath wine. He never studied Torah with a rabbi. He never held in his arms a newly circumcised Jewish boy. He never saw the anguish of expelled Jewish families vandalized at the hands of an irate Christian mob. He never smelled the smoke of burning Jewish martyrs. He never met Josel of Rosheim, who came to ask for his help. History has recognized the merits of Josel, an eloquent and compassionate Jewish man, widely respected by his contemporaries as the spokesperson for the whole of German Jewry. Josel had written to Luther in the spring of 1537 in hope of securing a letter of recommendation to the Saxon elector, so that he himself could intercede with the elector regarding safe travel for Jews through Saxony. Such safe travel was crucial for Jews for the conduct of business, marriage arrangements, and religious celebrations. Had Luther encountered this man of integrity and learning and heard first-hand of his honorable, humanitarian intentions, this meeting could have been a turning point. Instead, Luther closed his door. He was not interested in conversation about the serious matters at stake. When looking for decisive moments in Luther’s development, this is surely one, with broad ramifications for himself and his followers. It is decisive for us today, as well, whether we follow his path of “no conversation” or take a different route and dare to be confronted with views and experiences that may shape and change us and our basic beliefs in a fundamental way. It is appropriate to wonder how Luther might have been different had he benefitted from actual regular benevolent encounters with Jewish people, like Josel. There is substantial evidence from Luther’s own biography for how his experiences with the many people he encountered— and debated— were important ingredients in his theological argumentation. His capacity for great anger and deep compassion were often poignantly stirred by the people he met. But this is a question that cannot be answered. The text samples included in this volume speak their own troubling and saddening language. They reveal the intensity, passion, and consistency with which Luther wrote about the Jews, in ways that are unacceptable from our contemporary perspective. In our post-Holocaust context, and knowing more than Luther did about just how far human beings— including Christians— can go down the road of Jew-hatred, we are following tracks that are shameful and that require honest remembering. Because of the atrocities of the Nazi era, and because of ongoing expressions of anti-Semitism in our time as well, it is only proper to bring to continued inspection and prayerful reflection words such as Luther’s, so that we better continue to tell the truth, repent, and strive for justice and protection of the dignity of life, in accordance with the worthy principles of our respective religions. Remembering and truthtelling are part of keeping ourselves honest and in touch with reality. We know, and we want our children to know, that the expulsions, the pogroms, and the Holocaust really did happen, just as unspeakable violence really happens today. In the same manner, the remains of teachings that in any way have been employed by Christians for ill and violence toward others must be scrutinized and purged. Remembering and re-examining the foundations of Christian beliefs as well as their significance and impact over time is an essential, ongoing task for each new generation. Without such historical scrutiny there can be no valid claims for contemporary theological relevance. It is our human responsibility to remember what has happened, to try to understand why, and to ask how things could have been different. It is our Christian responsibility to reassess the structures of our beliefs and the effects of these beliefs on others. It is both a human and a Christian responsibility to take an active role for the sake of the future and begin by rejecting dehumanizing views and actions. We recognize from Luther’s own words how tainted and unacceptable some of his views are; at the same time, we wish to reclaim from his teachings that which continues to be life-giving and honorable, and which steers us to become better stewards of the divine gift of life."
Schramm, Brooks (2012-08-01). Martin Luther, the Bible, and the Jewish People . Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
"By highlighting the power and danger of Luther’s words, on the one hand, and by recognizing the ongoing stains of Christian proclamation, on the other, we hope to stir compassionate, constant reorientation in our ways of relating to one another and especially to the “other” we seek to know and love. We are convinced that honest study of Luther brings a heightened cautiousness about the reality-altering power of words— for better and for worse— and makes us more deliberate about the words we use and how. With the memory of those violated and killed in the name of the Christian God, we can reflect on the fundamentals of our beliefs and about our experiences of God, and continue to imagine and implement better ways of protecting the dignity of human life. We can reassess what of the “tainted greatness” 1 of Luther we choose to embrace and transmit to our children, and what not. While learning from Luther, we can pray to learn from past mistakes and open the doors in our hearts and minds respectfully to one another. We can be open to correction and become inspired and redirected in our mutual search for better understanding and living out divine truths, something Luther devoted his life to. Driven by his passions, he closed important doors that have begun to open. Let this volume be an invitation to open new doors, and pray that we so gain more illumination in our common human [and Christian] concerns."
Schramm, Brooks (2012-08-01). Martin Luther, the Bible, and the Jewish People . Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
I will not quote from Luther, read the book if you wish to see firsthand his animus towards the Jews. Two encouraging things in this book were the wise words of Josel the Jew as he responded to Martin Luther's booklet against the Jews, and the "Declaration of ELCA to the Jewish Community."
"Declaration of ELCA to the Jewish Community
The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on April 18, 1994, adopted the following document as a statement on Lutheran-Jewish relations: In the long history of Christianity there exists no more tragic development than the treatment accorded the Jewish people on the part of Christian believers. Very few Christian communities of faith were able to escape the contagion of anti-Judaism and its modern successor, anti-Semitism. Lutherans belonging to the Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America feel a special burden in this regard because of certain elements in the legacy of the reformer Martin Luther and the catastrophes, including the Holocaust of the twentieth century, suffered by Jews in places where the Lutheran churches were strongly represented. The Lutheran communion of faith is linked by name and heritage to the memory of Martin Luther, teacher and reformer. Honoring his name in our own, we recall his bold stand for truth, his earthy and sublime words of wisdom, and above all his witness to God’s saving Word. Luther proclaimed a gospel for people as we really are, bidding us to trust a grace sufficient to reach our deepest shames and address the most tragic truths. In the spirit of that truth-telling, we who bear his name and heritage must with pain acknowledge also Luther’s anti-Judaic diatribes and the violent recommendations of his later writings against the Jews. As did many of Luther’s own companions in the sixteenth century, we reject this violent invective, and yet more do we express our deep and abiding sorrow over its tragic effects on subsequent generations. In concert with the Lutheran World Federation, we particularly deplore the appropriation of Luther’s words by modern anti-Semites for the teaching of hatred toward Judaism or toward the Jewish people in our day. Grieving the complicity of our own tradition within this history of hatred, moreover, we express our urgent desire to live out our faith in Jesus Christ with love and respect for the Jewish people. We recognize in anti-Semitism a contradiction and an affront to the Gospel, a violation of our hope and calling, and we pledge this church to oppose the deadly working of such bigotry, both within our own circles and in the society around us. Finally, we pray for the continued blessing of the Blessed One upon the increasing cooperation and understanding between Lutheran Christians and the Jewish community."
Schramm, Brooks (2012-08-01). Martin Luther, the Bible, and the Jewish People . Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
"Honourable Sirs, my brethren have now been assaulted in a number of localities, in Meissen and within the jurisdictional authority of Braunschweig and its vicinity, on account of this booklet that was printed. In many places they have been cruelly oppressed, plundered, expelled, and injured in their persons and property, so I have been informed. Therefore, in the name of all the unfortunate Jews, I direct to you my humble request, that you will graciously consent to approach their Excellencies, the elector-princes of Saxony and Hesse. 14 They and their fathers, the late elector-princes, were always famous and esteemed for their benevolence and love of justice, and still are. Intercede with them, that they and the other members of the [Schmalkaldic] League, or each one individually, will show understanding, so that now, in these troubled times, they will continue to protect and deal mercifully with us unfortunate people as they did in the past, without any innovations, so that, contrary to former practice, we shall not be violently assaulted in the cities, market places and villages, or in the open fields... This is in order that ignorant persons will not ruthlessly molest and rob these unfortunate people, for nowhere {is it written} that God forbids compassion."
-Josel of Rosheim: Letter to the Strasbourg City Council (1543)
Schramm, Brooks (2012-08-01). Martin Luther, the Bible, and the Jewish People (pp. 185-186). Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
"Martin Luther never danced at a Jewish wedding. He never broke bread at Passover. He never shared a cup of Sabbath wine. He never studied Torah with a rabbi. He never held in his arms a newly circumcised Jewish boy. He never saw the anguish of expelled Jewish families vandalized at the hands of an irate Christian mob. He never smelled the smoke of burning Jewish martyrs. He never met Josel of Rosheim, who came to ask for his help. History has recognized the merits of Josel, an eloquent and compassionate Jewish man, widely respected by his contemporaries as the spokesperson for the whole of German Jewry. Josel had written to Luther in the spring of 1537 in hope of securing a letter of recommendation to the Saxon elector, so that he himself could intercede with the elector regarding safe travel for Jews through Saxony. Such safe travel was crucial for Jews for the conduct of business, marriage arrangements, and religious celebrations. Had Luther encountered this man of integrity and learning and heard first-hand of his honorable, humanitarian intentions, this meeting could have been a turning point. Instead, Luther closed his door. He was not interested in conversation about the serious matters at stake. When looking for decisive moments in Luther’s development, this is surely one, with broad ramifications for himself and his followers. It is decisive for us today, as well, whether we follow his path of “no conversation” or take a different route and dare to be confronted with views and experiences that may shape and change us and our basic beliefs in a fundamental way. It is appropriate to wonder how Luther might have been different had he benefitted from actual regular benevolent encounters with Jewish people, like Josel. There is substantial evidence from Luther’s own biography for how his experiences with the many people he encountered— and debated— were important ingredients in his theological argumentation. His capacity for great anger and deep compassion were often poignantly stirred by the people he met. But this is a question that cannot be answered. The text samples included in this volume speak their own troubling and saddening language. They reveal the intensity, passion, and consistency with which Luther wrote about the Jews, in ways that are unacceptable from our contemporary perspective. In our post-Holocaust context, and knowing more than Luther did about just how far human beings— including Christians— can go down the road of Jew-hatred, we are following tracks that are shameful and that require honest remembering. Because of the atrocities of the Nazi era, and because of ongoing expressions of anti-Semitism in our time as well, it is only proper to bring to continued inspection and prayerful reflection words such as Luther’s, so that we better continue to tell the truth, repent, and strive for justice and protection of the dignity of life, in accordance with the worthy principles of our respective religions. Remembering and truthtelling are part of keeping ourselves honest and in touch with reality. We know, and we want our children to know, that the expulsions, the pogroms, and the Holocaust really did happen, just as unspeakable violence really happens today. In the same manner, the remains of teachings that in any way have been employed by Christians for ill and violence toward others must be scrutinized and purged. Remembering and re-examining the foundations of Christian beliefs as well as their significance and impact over time is an essential, ongoing task for each new generation. Without such historical scrutiny there can be no valid claims for contemporary theological relevance. It is our human responsibility to remember what has happened, to try to understand why, and to ask how things could have been different. It is our Christian responsibility to reassess the structures of our beliefs and the effects of these beliefs on others. It is both a human and a Christian responsibility to take an active role for the sake of the future and begin by rejecting dehumanizing views and actions. We recognize from Luther’s own words how tainted and unacceptable some of his views are; at the same time, we wish to reclaim from his teachings that which continues to be life-giving and honorable, and which steers us to become better stewards of the divine gift of life."
Schramm, Brooks (2012-08-01). Martin Luther, the Bible, and the Jewish People . Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
"By highlighting the power and danger of Luther’s words, on the one hand, and by recognizing the ongoing stains of Christian proclamation, on the other, we hope to stir compassionate, constant reorientation in our ways of relating to one another and especially to the “other” we seek to know and love. We are convinced that honest study of Luther brings a heightened cautiousness about the reality-altering power of words— for better and for worse— and makes us more deliberate about the words we use and how. With the memory of those violated and killed in the name of the Christian God, we can reflect on the fundamentals of our beliefs and about our experiences of God, and continue to imagine and implement better ways of protecting the dignity of human life. We can reassess what of the “tainted greatness” 1 of Luther we choose to embrace and transmit to our children, and what not. While learning from Luther, we can pray to learn from past mistakes and open the doors in our hearts and minds respectfully to one another. We can be open to correction and become inspired and redirected in our mutual search for better understanding and living out divine truths, something Luther devoted his life to. Driven by his passions, he closed important doors that have begun to open. Let this volume be an invitation to open new doors, and pray that we so gain more illumination in our common human [and Christian] concerns."
Schramm, Brooks (2012-08-01). Martin Luther, the Bible, and the Jewish People . Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
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