Tainted Greatness

Examines antisemitic viewpoints of some famous thinkers: Luther, Mircea Aliade, Lombroso, Wagner, Heidegger, Maurice Blanchot, Ezra Pound, De Man, Jean Genet are among them.

Diagnoses "tainted legacies" as a moral problem, constructing a typology of responses to compromised thinkers, traditions, and institutions.

The book illustrates the fact that in reforming theology sixteenth century theologians also reformed practice or the imperatives of Christian living. Experts in reformation studies identify and elucidate areas of sixteenth century reforming activity in Martin Luther, John Calvin and other leading reformers to demonstrate the thoroughgoing nature of the reformation agenda. The interpretation of Scripture, the centrality of Jesus Christ, the Jewish question, freedom and pastoral insight form the contents of an important section on Luther. The use of feminine imagery for God, the Augsburg Confession, deification, education, and the gospel are treated in relation to Calvin. The final section deals with Oecolampadius, the Son of Man texts in Matthew, justification, texts on difficult deaths and a Trinitarian exegesis of Scripture. By careful reading of both the historical situation and the primary texts this volume adds significantly to our understanding of the period.

This is an upper-level introduction to the German Reformer Martin Luther, who by his thought and action started the Reformation movement. Martin Luther was one of the most influential and important figures of the second millennium. His break with Rome and the development of separate Evangelical churches affected not just the religious life of Europe but also social and political landscapes as well. More books have been written about Luther than nearly any other historical figure. Despite all these books, Luther remains an enigmatic figure. This book proposes to examine a number of key moments in Luther's life and fundamental theological positions that remain perplexing to most students. This book will also present an introduction to the primary sources available to a student and important secondary works that ought to be consulted. The Guides for the Perplexed series are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

The problem of "Luther and the Jews" has received much attention since World War II. Many consider there to be a direct line leading from Martin Luther's later anti-Jewish recommendations to policies carried out in the Third Reich. This has led contemporary Lutheran Churches worldwide to issue apologies and to distance themselves from Luther's anti-Semitic teachings. It has also led Jews to distance themselves from Luther as a religious figure. The present work revisits Luther's anti-Semitism and seeks to understand the compound factors that informed it. Drawing on contemporary Luther scholarship, it develops a model, the "Luther Model," that brings together multiple factors that help account for what went wrong, as we see it from our contemporary perspective. With that model in place, it engages in an examination of whether these factors, abstracted from the particularity of their historical context, are not also present in contemporary Jewish attitudes to Christians, as well as in broader negative relations between faith communities. By constructing the "Luther Model," this work seeks to feature Luther as a teacher and a paradigm for how religion can turn violent and destructive to other religions and to draw the appropriate lessons for interreligious relations today.

Traditionally, Christian churches have taught that the validity of Judaism came to an end with the emergence of Christianity. But in the last half-century, many Christians have reputiated this teaching and have affirmed the abiding validity of Judaism. Consequently, they have had to reevaluate Christian self-understanding in relation to Judaism. In Faith Transformed, Christian scholars who have been at the forefront of Christian-Jewish relations share how their encounters with Jews and Judaism have transformed their understanding and practice of Christianity. They reveal how their Christian faith has been profoundly enriched by drawing inspiration from the Jewish tradition.

And strangely, almost no scholarly attention has been given to the relationships between Lutheranism and Judaism as they affect the St. John Passion. Through a reappraisal of Bach's work and its contexts, Michael Marissen confronts Bach and Judaism directly, providing interpretive commentary that could serve as a basis for more informed and sensitive discussions of this troubling work.

Maps and Meaning is relevant to those looking for a fresh perspective on biblical narratives related to the role of the priest, patients, soldiers, and others who spend time “outside the camp.” The authors consider the geographical, interpersonal, temporal, and spiritual transitions individuals experience when they move “in” and “out of the camp” and the impact their time outside the camp has on family and community. The authors propose a societal approach that embraces the inevitability of life’s ebbs and flow and that draws maps to facilitate these journeys.