The Jews and the Reformation, by Kenneth Austin

Abstract

A comprehensive discussion of Reformation attitudes towards Jews and Judaism is both timely and necessary. Fortunately, in Kenneth Austin’s hands, it is also masterly. His book provides a lucid, thorough and erudite introduction to almost every aspect of this subject. As Austin points out, Judaism has long been a shameful and embarrassing subject for Reformation historians of all denominations. Early modern treatment of Jews ranged from dismissive to intellectually predatory to actively persecutory. For Lutheran and Calvinist denominations, in particular, the treatment of Jews contradicted long-standing and self-congratulatory assumptions that the Reformation advanced modernity and tolerance. With this book, scholars can now take a more sober and clear-eyed view. The great strength of Austin’s approach is its breadth of perspective. The title says ‘Jews’ but in fact Austin considers all modes of Christian interaction with Judaism. This includes interactions between Christian and Jewish people and communities; theological concepts regarding the role(s) of Judaism within Christian doctrine; Christian study of Hebrew; Jews in the Christian literary imaginary; artistic motifs and the stereotypes they disseminated. In this way, Austin expands the tradition of scholarship that examines Jews as simultaneously a real and an imagined presence in Christian Europe. Austin’s view of the Reformation is similarly all-encompassing. His Reformation includes historical, political and cultural factors along with theology, and treats religious movements in comparison with each other. This by itself is no drastic innovation in Reformation history, but it is especially necessary to get it right in this case. Austin shows that Reformation-era Christians engaged with Jews on many different fronts at once, and that attitudes that arose in one sphere could have consequences or implications in another.