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The Holocaust in Historical Context
By: Steven Katz
Reviewed By: Joseph Keyspr
In a book praised by Holocaust scholars as "a truly remarkable achievement"
and "scrupulously informed," Steven Katz (Professor of Jewish History and
Thought at Cornell University) analyzes the Holocaust and compares it to
other examples of massive evil in human history.
Part of his analysis includes a study of Christianity and its relationship
to the Holocaust. He argues (in the subsection entitled "New Testament
Foundations: The Origins of the Myth") that Christian antisemitism is deeply
rooted in the New Testament itself, and is a permanent and ineradicable
feature of biblical Christianity.
Katz recognizes that Christianity is fundamentally different from Naziism,
and concedes that in the previous centuries when Christianity was dominant
no Christians attempted to carry out or even advocated the extermination of
all Jews. Nevertheless, he argues that there is a definite connection
between "Christian" and Nazi antisemitism, and asserts that biblical
Christianity played a vital role in the events that culminated in Hitler's
death camps.
To achieve this end, Katz made a careful study of the New Testament and
listed a number of verses which he felt showed an inherent hostility toward
Jews and Judaism. All of Paul's comments on the inability of Jews to obtain
salvation by keeping the law are referred to as "poisonous," because they
are a fundamental attack on Judaism's spiritual worth. Many comments of
Jesus' about the Pharisees are evidence of Christianity's hatred of Jews.
Even Steven's comments in the book of Acts, that the Jews are stiffnecked
and resist the Holy Spirit, are evidence of "antisemitism."
In the Gospels, Pilate's handwashing is called a "sinister" tale that shows
the guilt of the Jews and the innocence of the Gentiles in Christ's death.
The Jewish murder of Christ is stressed as showing the wickedness of the
Jews, and "the deep anti-Jewish animus" of the New Testament is highlighted.
Thus, the New Testament and the teachings of Christ and the apostles are
blamed for centuries of hatred and cruelty, culminating (admittedly, with
the addition of modern secular influences) in the death camps and the Final
Solution.
Unfortunately, this book (which has received a great deal of favorable
comment from academic circles) seems to have met with little or no response
from the Christian community. Major charges have been levelled against the
Christian faith, which is called inherently sinister, false, and conducive
to cruelty and evil, and the church is silent. Perhaps, in the appropriate
time and place, some Christian can be found who will make some of the
following observations in response to Professor Katz.
To begin with, prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and even Moses himself
had, like Steven, much to say about the stubbornness and wickedness of the
Jews. Were they then the originators of antisemitism?
Secondly, the New Testament plainly teaches that murderers will not inherit
the kingdom of God (Gal.5:21 and Rev.21:8). There are many New Testament
commandments about how Christians are supposed to walk in holiness and
righteousness before God. These are found not only in the Gospels ("Blessed
are the peacemakers") but also in the letters. Is the bible to blame for
people who ignore its plain teachings?
Thirdly, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, not to the Jewish people as a
whole. To say that opposition to a corrupt and dishonest Jewish religious
leadership is opposition to the Jewish people as a whole shows a profound
misreading of Christ and of the Gospels.
Moreover, Pilate's involvement shows that the Gentiles too had a hand in
Jesus' death. Pilate knowingly handed an innocent man over to a mob - his
futile act of handwashing does not absolve him. Pilate's guilt (and the
participation of the Gentiles in the death of Christ) is described with
great eloquence by one of Protestantism's preeminent commentators, Matthew
Henry.
Finally, Paul teaches, and the New Testament teaches, that the Jews are
separated from God by their rejection of Christ, unable to obtain salvation
through their efforts at keeping the law. Katz misses, however, the
fundamental point that the entire human race, not only the Jews, is
separated and alienated from God by guilt, and the entire human race is
unable to earn favor with God by all of their own efforts. Thus, the problem
of the Jews is the problem of us all. And, what was Paul's response to the
Jews in their lostness? Hatred? Persecution? True Christians recognize that
we have all sinned, and that we as followers of Christ are entrusted not
with the gospel of wrath and punishment, but of reconciliation.
Professor Katz, like so many others, has missed the entire essence and
spirit of New Testament Christianity. It is hoped that his comments will at
some point receive the public examination that they deserve.
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