Luther's Jews
A Journey into Anti-Semitism
Thomas Kaufmann
Reviews and Awards
"This 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
"This marvelous book will be the standard work in the field. Kaufmann's ability to cover so much ground in such a short space and with such precision is remarkable. He is always careful to distinguish the demonstrable from the intriguingly possible, and when we simply do not know, he says so explicitly. For those scholars and students who are more interested in the afterlife of Luther's writings relating to the Jews than in the specifically sixteenth-century context of those writings, Kaufmann's final chapter on reception history will prove to be an indispensable resource."--Brooks Schramm, Antisemitism Studies
"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
