The Roots of Antisemitism and Bonhoeffer’s Paradigm of Resistance

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Oct 28, 2024

Victoria J. Barnett, a leading expert on the Holocaust and the German churches, examines the complex interplay of religion and politics in Nazi Germany. The discussion sheds light on the historical roots of antisemitism, emphasizing the church's troubling complicity. Barnett delves into Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s moral struggles and resistance against state oppression, highlighting his internal conflict and courage in the face of societal pressures. Listeners gain insight into Bonhoeffer’s theological reflections and the church's crucial role in advocating for justice.

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ANECDOTE

Hitler's Passion Play Endorsement

Hitler praised the Oberammergau Passion Play, highlighting its portrayal of "the Aryan man" against "the muck and mire of Jewry."
This endorsement contributed to the play's association with antisemitism.

INSIGHT

Theological Anti-Judaism

The New Testament isn't racially anti-Semitic, but theologically anti-Jewish.
This theological anti-Judaism can fuel racial anti-Semitism, as seen in interpretations of the Passion narrative.

INSIGHT

Expanding Blame in the Gospels

John Dominic Crossan highlights how the Gospels progressively expand the blame for Jesus' crucifixion.
This expansion contributes to the harmful legacy of anti-Semitism.

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The journey through the turbulent years preceding World War II in Germany is a complex narrative that intertwines politics, religion, and individual courage. At the center of our story lies Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a theologian and participant in the resistance against Nazi ideology within the German church. This episode unpacks the depths of Christian antisemitism, the pressures faced within German society, and Bonhoeffer’s ideological and practical responses to these challenges.

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Featured Scholars in this Episode

Victoria J. Barnett served from 2004-2014 as one of the general editors of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, the English translation series of Bonhoeffer’s complete works. She has lectured and written extensively about the Holocaust, particularly about the role of the German churches. In 2004 she began directing the Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum until her retirement.

Michael DeJonge is Professor and Chair of the Religious Studies department, where he teaches about the history of Christian thought, theories and methods in religious studies, and religion in modern society. He holds the endowed Chair named in memory of James F. Strange, who was a respected colleague and beloved teacher in the department for forty years. He’s been teaching at USF since earning a Ph.D. in Religion from Emory University in 2009. He has been a Fulbright Scholar, a Fellow of the Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies, a Volkswagen/Mellon Fellow at the Leibniz-Institute for European History in Mainz, Germany, and Visiting Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Theology and Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York.

John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus at DePaul University, is widely regarded as the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Historical Jesus, How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian, God and Empire, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Greatest Prayer, The Last Week, and The Power of Parable. He lives in Minneola, Florida.

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