Antisemitism in Christianity

Antisemitism in Christianity, a form of religious antisemitism, is the feeling of hostility which some Christian Churches, Christian groups, and ordinary Christians have toward the Jewish religion and the Jewish people. Antisemitic Christian rhetoric and the antipathy toward Jews which result from it both date back to the early years of Christianity and are derived from pagan anti-Jewish attitudes that were reinforced by the belief that Jews were responsible for the murder of Jesus of Nazareth. Christians imposed ever-increasing anti-Jewish measures over the ensuing centuries, including acts of ostracism, humiliation, expropriation, violence, and murder—measures which culminated in the Holocaust. Christian antisemitism has been attributed to numerous factors including theological differences; the competition between Church and synagogue; the Christian missionary impulse; a misunderstanding of Jewish beliefs and practice; and the perception that Judaism was hostile toward Christianity. For two millennia, these attitudes were reinforced in Christian preaching, art, and popular teachings—all of which expressed contempt for Jews—as well as statutes which were designed to humiliate and stigmatise Jews. Modern antisemitism has primarily been described as hatred against Jews as a race and its most recent expression is rooted in 18th-century racial theories. Anti-Judaism is rooted in hostility toward Judaism; in Western Christianity, anti-Judaism effectively merged with antisemitism during the 12th century. Scholars have debated how Christian antisemitism played a role in the Nazi Third Reich, World War II, and the Holocaust. The Holocaust forced many Christians to reflect on the role(s) Christian theology and practice played and still play in anti-Judaism and antisemitism.

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Related concepts (31)

Antisemitic trope

Antisemitic tropes are "sensational reports, misrepresentations, or fabrications" that are defamatory towards Judaism as a religion or defamatory towards Jews as an ethnic or religious group. Since the Middle Ages, such reports have been a recurring motif of broader antisemitic conspiracy theories. Some antisemitic tropes or false accusations date back to the birth of Christianity, such as the allegation that the Jews are collectively responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Antisemitism in Christianity

History of antisemitism

The history of antisemitism, defined as hostile actions or discrimination against Jews as a religious or ethnic group, goes back many centuries, with antisemitism being called "the longest hatred".