It is important to remember the suffering of Jews and offer regret for anti-Semitism at this time of remembrance for the inhumanity of the Holocaust (Holocaust Memorial Day 27 January). Simon Ponsonby makes some valid points in his Christianity Magazine article on Luther and the Holocaust The shocking truth about Christianity and the Holocaust The shocking truth about Christianity and the Holocaust (premierchristianity.com). But we need to put this into context so as not to create a narrative that may undermine Christian faith and become anti-Christian. It may for example lead Christians to a sense of guilt that is not warranted, or to reject Christianity altogether. How far Christians today should repent for the actions of our distant forefathers is an open question, but we need to learn the lessons of history so as to avoid repeating them.
While Luther’s contradictions are well known, we should not
forget the great sacrifice that many people, largely from Christian nations,
made during the war-time struggle to end Nazi tyranny. This action brought an
end of Hitler’s death camps. Even in Germany, brave theologians such as
Dietrich Bonhoeffer stood against fascism and paid with their lives. The darker
side of Luther’s more complete teaching were in fact revealed at the time in
Britain, with its negative influence on the German psyche. For example, Peter
Weiner’s Win the Peace pamphlet Martin Luther: Hitler’s Spiritual Ancestor
laid it out in detail for the British reader in the 1940s.
Historical context
In historical context, a sometimes-fierce struggle for
identity developed between Jewish and Christian believers from the earliest
centuries. This struggle is related to the personhood of the Messiah and the entity
that is Israel. With this struggle, anti-Semitism grew in response from the
fourth century after the joining of Church and State. The Christian Church gained
a power and wealth from Rome it had not had before, and with power came
opportunity for abuse. The Roman Church claimed authority over all of
Christendom, and Jews faced discrimination and forced conversion.
Augustine had taught that Jews should at least not be
killed, which partially tempered Jewish suffering. But regrettably the
rhetorical preaching style of some other early theologians, such as John
Chrysostom, led to riots and violence against Jews – and pogroms have continued
into modern times. Chrysostom was well read by Luther, although we may note
that the golden-mouthed theologian also applied his rhetorical preaching
against Christian luminaries such as the Roman Empress Aelia Eudoxia, thus at
least not showing favouritism. But the lesson for modern evangelists and
theologians is that we need to be careful with how we preach and teach. Through
respectful dialogue, and in humility, we can at least build understanding
between Jews and Christians over questions of identity.
Reformation
After initially embracing Jews in the hope of their
salvation, Luther came to fiercely oppose them with his later teaching, thus
showing himself to be inconsistent and a poor follower of Augustine. As well,
absolute obedience to the state formed part of Luther’s teaching, which partly
explains German acquiescence to the Nazi regime. But we should not forget some
of the good teaching that Luther recovered, such as the doctrine of
justification by faith. And with the coming of the Reformation there was a
desire to break from the corruption and power of Rome. Unfortunately, it only
put in place a new set of power structures based upon nation states. Protestant
and Catholic states used their power to put to death opponents across Europe,
measurable in terms of hundreds of thousands of bodies, and justified in terms
of a divine mandate.
The Reformation in Britain followed more closely the
teaching of John Calvin, especially as escaping French Huguenots settled in the
country. Calvin persistently believed in a future revival amongst Jews because
of divine election, and called for respect towards them, so moderating the
Lutheran hostility. And many Jews have come to faith over the centuries and
made a positive contribution to the growth of the faith. The struggle for
ascendency between Protestants and Catholics lasted for several centuries in
Britain, but with the new settlers there was also a growing non-conformist
tradition that faced persecution from both sides – for example as outlined in
Joseph Besse’s Collection of Sufferings of the People called Quakers.
When we look at anti-Semitism in context, we need to remember that Christians
of different persuasions persecuted each other through many centuries, and this
collective suffering was because of an abuse of power by state-sanctioned
churches and poor theology.
The naturalistic influence upon the holocaust
The other influence that led to the rise of fascism and
anti-Semitism in early twentieth century Germany was a liberal, naturalised
faith. As a result, many came to reject faith altogether with a preference for
Paganism and nature worship, and acquiescence towards acceptance of evolution.
The German Church was compromised by a liberal faith through theologians such
as Friedrich Schleiermacher, and with the influence of higher biblical
criticism the authority of Scripture was undermined, as was the moral voice of
the Germanic churches. This helps to explain why, in response, Karl Barth, the
main author of the 1934 Barmen Declaration, was so set against natural
theology.
Hitler’s belief was in essence Positive Christianity – a
faith devoid of any real meaning, and without a divine being that one might be
relationally accountable towards. Hitler spoke of Almighty God in Mein Kampf
(My Struggle) but it was in terms of the ‘iron logic of nature’ having
creative power over humanity – a power that could not be resisted. Essentially,
God was the power of evolution through violent struggle and natural selection.
Arthur Keith, in Evolution and Ethics, commented that the
Nazi leader in Germany was “an evolutionist not only in theory, but, as
millions know to their cost, in the rigor of its practice.” Darwinian
survival-of-the-fittest and eugenics informed the Nazi mindset to rationally
justify genocide, as much as any real commitment to the Lutheran faith.
Issues of identity today
The question of identity still divides Jews and Christians
into the twenty-first century, and divides Christians who hold to the Reformed
Covenantal theology on the one hand, and Christian Zionism on the other.
Ponsonby uses the opportunity of his article to promote some of the doctrines of Christian Zionism. The Reformed tradition is often accused of holding to
super-secessionism: a position that is sometimes asserted to be anti-Semitic.
Put simplistically, it is the belief that following the death and resurrection
of Christ, God rejected Israel and chose the Church instead. On the other side,
some supporters of the State of Israel advance a dual-covenant theology: one
for Jews that maintains the continuation of the Old Covenant, and one for
Gentile Christians under the New Covenant. And yet when we read Paul's teaching about the weakness of the Law, that it was a curse to those who fail to keep it
perfectly (Galatians 3:10), is it really loving to call for Jews to live in that
light by denying them the blessing of the gospel?
When we study Scripture, we ought to place Christ at the
centre of our theology. In this regard, it is possible to find a way forward
that builds bridges across the identity crisis – it is a way of faith for Jews
and Gentiles. Reformed theologian David Holwerda explains it well in his book Jesus
and Israel: that through His life, ministry and sacrificial work Christ became
Israel and so offers redemption to both Jews and Gentiles. Within the Reformed
tradition the Messiah is seen as fulfilling Israel’s mandate as one born King
of the Jews. He is the rock of our salvation, and the root in to which we are
all grafted, Jews and Gentiles alike. It is in this sense that Christ brings
Jews and Gentiles together in Him as one-new-man (Ephesians 2:14-15), thus
establishing peace. It isn’t that God rejected Israel, but Israel and the Jews
are included in the divine plan of salvation alongside Gentile believers.
Ongoing political questions today
With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 Jews
were given the opportunity to live in their historical homeland, with the hope
of peace. The advance of a Jewish State followed the horrors of the Holocaust.
Unfortunately, the land of Palestine, or the Holy Land as Jews perceive it, was
already occupied by Palestinians, a third of whom were Christian in the early
twentieth century. As a result of this new Jewish homeland, the two sides have
often been at war, and many Palestinians have died, lost their homes or been
exiled. Palestinians refer to the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of
people as al-Nakbah, meaning disaster. And Jews continue to
struggle to find peace in the land. It is our duty as Christians to work for
peace, justice and reconciliation between both sides in the ongoing struggle in
the Middle East.
Summary
The practical outworking of anti-Semitism arose through an abuse of power and the careless rhetorical preaching style of a number of Christians, both of which need to be acknowledged, and we can learn the lessons of history. This also raises questions with regard to the proper relationship between Church and State. While we ought to offer regret over anti-Semitism and remember the horrors of the holocaust, let us not develop an unwarranted narrative that becomes anti-Christian. We need to seek understanding through dialogue between Jews and Gentiles over the question of Israel’s identity, and between different Christian positions.
Andrew Sibley
