Philosemitism in HistoryJonathan Karp, Adam Sutcliffe Too often philosemitism, the idealization of Jews and Judaism, has been simplistically misunderstood as merely antisemitism "in sheep's clothing." This book takes a different approach, surveying the phenomenon from antiquity to the present and highlighting its rich complexity and broad impact on Western culture. Philosemitism in History includes fourteen essays by specialist historians, anthropologists, literary scholars, and scholars of religion, ranging from medieval philosemitism to such modern and contemporary topics as the African American depictions of Jews as ethnic role models, the Zionism of Christian evangelicals, pro-Jewish educational television in West Germany, and the current fashion for Jewish "kitsch" memorabilia in contemporary East-Central Europe. An extensive introductory chapter offers a thorough and original overview of the topic. The book underscores both the endurance and the malleability of philosemitism, drawing attention to this important but widely neglected facet of Jewish-non-Jewish relations. |
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abbé Abbé Grégoire admiration ambivalent American ancient anti-antisemitic anti-Jewish antisemitism argued attitudes Bernstein Berryman biblical Cambridge University Press century Christian Hebraists Christian Zionist Church contemporary conversion critical Cunaeus Daniel Deronda Deronda divine early modern economic Eliot England English Enlightenment essay Europe European evangelical figures German God’s Grégoire Grégoire's groups Hebraic Hebrew Holocaust human Hungarian hurston Ibid imperial Germany intellectual interest Israel Israeli Jerusalem Jesus Jewess Jewish culture Jewish history Jewry Jews and Judaism John Selden Jókai Josephus Judaism Juden Kabbalah Kazimierz liberal London Lowell Magyar medieval western Christendom messianic millenarian Mirah Moses Nazi Newton nineteenth-century non-Jewish non-Jews novel Oxford University Press Palestine philosemitism poets political positive premillennialist Protestant rabbis religion religious Renaissance republican restoration Robeson role scholars Selden social Socialist society stereotypes Studies Talmud Temple Temple Mount Testament theological tion tism tradition Washington Whiston writings York Zora Neale Hurston