2 months ago

I explore the connection between theology, humanity, history and culture. I do this in the hopes of creating meaningful dialogue with others.

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My Outline:
"But obviously Norwich is a Christian city and so there are deeply rooted theological reasons which which go all the way back to the very beginnings of Christianity as to why Christians might have negative stereotypes of Jews."

Christians and Jews historically having troubled relationships does not mean antisemitism is “deeply rooted” in Christian theology. Tom later admits, “both the church and Christian kings are influenced in their attitude to Jews by centuries of relative…tolerance.” That is no small thing given how the rest of the world treats those who are of different tribes.

"So they are viewed by Christians as aliens who have willfully shut themselves off from the universal which in Greek is Catholic uh community of Christian souls. So that's an obvious cause of hostility."

Christian theology teaches us to “love our neighbor” even the Samaritan (or in this case Jewish) neighbor. We mourn those who reject Christ.
When the Catholic church is mentioned this is where Tom is actually talking about humanism present in the church which is distinct from Christian theology.
Human sin creates antisemitism - Christianity points to the cure

"So they are blamed for the sufferings of Christ on the cross."

Christian theology teaches that we are all guilty and that Christ laid His life down willingly for all who would be saved. Bad people saying wrong things in the name of Christ does not equal Christian theology.

"Because Herod was a Jew and Herod is the man who launches the massacre of the innocents in Bethlehem uh when he's trying to kill Jesus. The innocents over the course of the 12th century are increasingly being cast as Christians."

So Christians don’t like Herod because he is a Jew...It couldn’t possibly be because he killed a bunch of babies. And the Christians, because of their Christian theology, are compelled to stand up for the innocent people the world thinks are expendable.

"And so there's a sense that Jews have a particular animus against children.
And there is a broader feeling that they have been cursed by God,
that they're favored by the devil,
that um they've been driven into exile because they slew the Messiah, that they've been exiled from their homeland,
and that essentially they kind of bear the mark of Cain on their brows.
Yes Christianity stands against the religion of man or Cain, and we look to the men of faith like Abraham, but ultimately Jesus.
So there's a whole swirl of very negative stereotypes that Christians can draw on if they want to…"

No, not actual Christians who know themselves to be the worst of all sinners. Tom is pointing to the antisemitism of the world and blaming it on Christian theology. He is like Nero blaming the Christians for burning Rome. “That antisemitism you are seeing all over the place, blame the Christian for that.” Actual Christian theology stands in direct contrast to worldly religion in whatever form it may take.

“Are relations between Christians and Jews in Norwich at this time unremittingly hostile? Absolutely they're not. Because even though there are kind of currents of popular hostility to Jews, by and large, both the church and Christian kings are influenced in their attitude to Jews by centuries of relative, and I emphasize the word relative tolerance.”

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0:00 Framing the Issue
1:00 Tom Holland's Argument
1:49 Christians and Herod
3:17 No Hostility Toward Those Who Reject Christ
5:59 Christians Know Who Killed Jesus
6:55 Cain vs Abraham
8:29 Blame Christians
9:21 The Missing Clip
9:52 Christian Hospitality