Germans, Jews, and the Claims of Modernity [Hardcover]

Professor Jonathan M. Hess (Author), Jonathan M. Hess (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002

In the analysis of the debates in Germany over Jews, Judaism and Jewish emancipation in the late 18th and 19th centuries, Jonathan M. Hess reconstructs a crucial chapter in the history of secular anti-Semitism. He examines not only the thinking of German intellectuals of the time but also that of Jewish writers, revealing the connections between anti-Semitism and visions of modernity, and the Jewish responses to the treat posed by these connections. By tracking the evolution of the widespread debates between Germans and Jews, Hess uncovers the process by which Judaism came to play a central role in defining secular universalism and political modernisation. For many German intellectuals concerned with imagining a new political order in the era of French Revolution, Judaism was often perceived as the symbolic anthithesis of secular modernity. The response of leading Jewish thinkers was to offer their own reflections on modernity and universalism, grounded in Judaism's normative tradition. Hess considers the work of major figures of the period, such as Moses Mendelssohn, Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Friedrich Schleiermacher, whose debates about the shape of the modern world provide us with fresh insights into Jewish emancipation, German colonial discourse, and the intersections between religious and political reform.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"A brilliant and challenging study that rejects assimilation as the model of Jewish experience in Germany, and demonstrates instead the rebellious and subversive quality of modern Jewish thought. Hess's book places representations of Jews at the forefront of emergent German self-understanding, and shows us the enormous impact Jewish thinkers played in shaping German visions of modernity." -- Susannah Heschel, author of Abraham Geiger and the Jewish Jesus

About the Author

Jonathan M. Hess is associate professor of German and adjunct associate professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300097018
• ISBN-13: 978-0300097016
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #929,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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