Recommendation Whether to Confiscate, Destroy and Burn All Jewish Books: A Classic Treatise Against Anti-Semitism (Studies in Judaism and Christianity) [Paperback]

Johannes Reuchlin (Author), Peter Wortsman (Translator), Elisheva Carlebach (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Studies in Judaism and Christianity | Publication Date: September 2000

This modest little text, written in 1510 at the request of the Holy Roman Emperor who was under pressure to burn all Jewish religious books, is a landmark in the history of Jewish-Christian dialogue. In it, Johannes Reuchlin, legal scholar and enlightened thinker, was asked by the emperor to render an opinion and defended the rights of the Jews to live alongside Christians and to retain their sacred books. Reuchlin's response to the situation could be summed up as: Do not burn what you do not understand! Reuchlin brought revilement and persecution upon himself, but his courageous defense of Jewish books put an end to the attempt to destroy them. In her historical introduction, Elisheva Carlsbach paints a superb picture of the period and the state of antisemitism in Europe in the 16th century. Until now, Reuchlin's remarkable affirmation of the rights of Jews and defense of Jewish books has been inaccessible to English-speaking readers. This translation will gain it the wider audience it deserves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

It belongs in all libraries collecting material on anti-semitism and the Jewish-Christian dialogue. -- International Review of Biblical Studies

It will quickly become a staple of courses on medieval Jewish history and Jewish-Christian relations. -- Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary

Reuchlin's invaluable contribution on anti-Semitism sheds further light on the continued relevance of his thinking. -- Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop of Albany

Thanks to translator Peter Wortsman, we now have access to Reuchlin's 'modest little text,' a pioneering defense of Jewish culture. -- The Jerusalem Post

This book brings an important example of Christian understanding of Judaism in the sixteenth century. -- Newsletter of the Institute of the World Religious Congress in Jerusalem

About the Author

Peter Wortsman is a correspondent in New York for the French Literary Review, Courants d'ombre, and a novelist and literary critic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809139723
• ISBN-13: 978-0809139729
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,000,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Discrimination & Racism

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