3.2.7

What is Anti-Semitism?

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What is Anti-Semitism?

Anti-Semitism is a term used to describe hatred towards Jewish people.

Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism

  • Anti-Semitism is a term used to describe hatred towards Jewish people.
  • The term also describes the act of blaming Jews for the bad things that people experience.
Christian Anti-Semitism

Christian Anti-Semitism

  • Some Christians, reading the Gospels, blamed all Jewish people for Jesus' death.
  • This is based on a couple of texts, particularly in Matthew's Gospel.
  • In Matthew 21 Jesus drives traders and moneychangers out of the Jewish Temple.
    • Some have interpreted this as Jesus expressing God's judgement against the Jewish people.
Christian Anti-Semitism 2

Christian Anti-Semitism 2

  • Also in Matthew 27 the crowd at Jesus' trial shout 'His blood be upon us and our children'.
    • Some say this means Jewish people accepted the blame for Jesus' death.
Consequences

Consequences

  • These accusations go right back to the early days of Christianity and have been used to encourage violent attacks on Jews.
  • This includes the expulsion of Jewish people from England and other European countries.
Misinterpretation

Misinterpretation

  • This attitude is based on a misreading of the Gospel accounts.
  • Most scholars argue Jesus cleansed the Temple because he objected to a place of prayer being used as a market.
  • Other scholars point out that Matthew 27 was written at a time when Christians faced persecution by the Romans.
  • So the Roman role in Jesus' death is downplayed to avoid worsening conflict with the Romans.
Jump to other topics
1

Year 7

1.1

Origins of Abrahamic Faith

1.2

Judaism

1.3

Christianity

1.4

Disciplinary Knowledge

2

Year 8

2.1

Islam

2.2

Hindu Dharma (Hinduism)

2.3

Buddhism

2.4

Sikhi

2.5

Atheism

2.6

Philosophy of Religion

2.7

Disciplinary Knowledge

3

Year 9

3.1

Life & Death

3.2

Extremism

3.3

Equality

4

Additional Concepts

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