A History of European Christian Anti-Antisemitism 1945-2020

Introduction

This project sets out to study the history of the Roman-Catholic and the Protestant repudiation of antisemitism, which I call Christian anti-antisemitism, in Western Europe between 1945 and 2020. Through its expression in multiple ecclesial declarations, theological works, liturgical events, educational projects, and professional appointments, I argue that anti-antisemitism is a core component of contemporary European Christianity.

Contextual Framework

As such, it is inherently tied to the reconfiguration of Western Christianity in the late 20th and early 21st century in the context of the liberal secular society. This includes:

1. The creation of orthodoxies and heresies
2. Processes of secularization
3. Decolonization
4. The globalization of Christianity

Central Aspects of the Study

To grasp the role of Christian anti-antisemitism within these processes, the project will explore three of its central aspects:

Theological Concepts and Historical Development

First, the project will analyze the penetration of anti-antisemitism into the center of Christian European identity by examining its key theological concepts and historical development.

Interaction with Jewish Interlocutors

Second, the project will explore Christian anti-antisemitism as it was consolidated and negotiated in interaction with Jewish interlocutors. This includes the dialectic combination between:

• Severe disagreements between Jews and Christians on the nature of antisemitism and the role of Christians in facilitating and perpetuating it
• Fruitful anti-antisemitic collaborations that were also recruited for the cultivation of Europe’s postwar liberal ethos

Intra-Christian Debates

Third, the project will study intra-Christian debates on antisemitism in ecumenical and global Christian settings. It will investigate the place of anti-antisemitism within tensions between Western Christianity and World Christianity around racism and colonialism.

Conclusion

Based on its findings, Christosemitism will suggest a new theoretical paradigm through which to grasp Christianity’s role in contemporary Europe, as well as that of religious phenomena in the history of secular societies more broadly.