Rating: 
Summary: Interesting take on a complex issue..
Review: This is not a perfect book, but it just might be a great one. Kertzer (social science and anthropology, Brown Univ., and author of The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, CH, Nov'97) takes issue with the Catholic commission that produced "We Remember," a document that blames the holocaust on nationalism, not religious intolerance. The Catholic Church has long distinguished between anti-Judaism and antisemitism, arguing that the Church fostered only negative religious views of Jews, not the more dangerous stereotypes. That distinction now can be laid to rest. Taking the focus off of Pius XII, Kertzer examines the 19th-century roots of Catholic antisemitism. He brilliantly connects Church prejudices to anxiety about modernity. The Jews benefited greatly from the rise of modern nation-states, and Catholic officials resented that. As the Catholic political agenda was blocked, Catholic leaders scapegoated the Jews. Drawing from long-sealed Vatican archives, Kertzer tries to pin everything on the popes, as if that is the key issue. The best chapter is on the Catholic press, which sought popular support as the Church was losing its credibility. Wonderfully written and jarring, it reads like a terrifying novel. This book definitely belongs in every academic library.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing lesson in Jewish history
Review: This is the first book in a long time that I have been able to pick up and not put down. It is an amazing and persuasive lesson in Jewish history, which ties in elements of Catholic Church intrigue in an attempt to delineate the Church's role in the rise of anti-semitism. The book is not only historically interesting, but is also well-researched. The author is well known and published, and his research methods are thoroughly documented, making this book even more persuasive. It is important to remember that this book (and the history it represents) is but a small piece of the Holocaust puzzle ~ the Catholic Church alone is not responsible for the rise of the Holocaust; in fact, Catholics were targeted by Hitler as well, and many died in concentration camps. However, it is important also to understand that many groups, including the Catholic Church, did contribue to the rise of the Holocaust. This book sheds light on one aspect in the horrible history of the Holocaust.
Rating:
Summary: Is this enough proof?
Review: To read David Kertzer's "The Popes Against the Jews" is to finally recognize the inevitability of the Holocaust. The question is, when will the Church finally accept it's complicity?While one should expect the usual deniers to attack "The Pope Against The Jews" as another "anti-Catholic screed" (just as they did to "Constantine's Sword,") Kertzer quotes directly from the Vatican's recently opened (albeit, to a limited degree,) Secret Archive and the Church's official and semi-official press to illustrate the explicit and authorized anti-Semitic position of the Church for (at least,) the 125 years preceding and, in part, laying the groundwork for, the Holocaust. (Of course, a true defender of the Church would simply blame Napoleon and the French Revolution for the Holocaust, after reading this chilling book.) To any rational and objective reader, the Church's hair-splitting over good (religion-based,) and bad (race-based,) anti-Semitism is at best specious, if not fundamentally wrong: It is simply impossible to expect the drumbeat of official hatred, vilification and condemnation of the Jews and Judaism by the Church over this period revealed by Kertzer to not have ended in mass murder. But Kertzer also demonstrates the Church's official endorsement of racial anti-Semitism, which to even the most ardent defender can have no other sociological or political consequence than extermination, although he never goes so far as to say it - for obvious reasons. The book is extremely well documented, and will stand up as an authoritative work. And it is surprisingly unemotional, considering the inflammatory potential of its message. One can only hope that people will stop being defensive about anything that is remotely critical of the Church, Christianity or Catholicism, accept the indictment, fix the problem, and move on. The most remarkable thing about this book, however, is not so much the case it makes against the Church's position vis-Ã -vis the Jews, but the similarity between the Church's campaign against the Jews and the Islamic fundamentalists' campaign against the West (ironically including both Christians and Jews.) Osama bin Laden's speeches about the West are almost word-for-word identical to the Church's pronouncements against the Jews covered in the book. So, ironically, we now have the answer to "Why do they (the Islamic fundamentalists,) hate us (the West,) so much?" It turns out to be the same as the answer to "Why do they (the Christians,) hate us (the Jews,) so much?" It is because it is what they were taught. And so what is the answer to why the Holocaust - and the World Trade Center attacks - happened? It is because you cannot teach intolerance and not expect some of your students to carry the lesson too far.
Rating:
Summary: Meticulously researched, well written and convincing.
Review: When the Vatican archives were opened to the the author, Kertzer took full advantage of the opportunity. I admire the current pope, John Paul, for allowing the archival information to be released to the author, and, thus, the book to be written. This book traces the difficulties placed on Jews by the Catholic hierarchy during the last 300 years. The evidence is largely provided by official texts and records from the Church itself. These records were sealed in the Vatican archives and previously unavailable. Initially, these difficulties ocurred in the Papal States, which were areas in Italy ruled by the Popes. Jews were segregated in ghettos, prevented from working, and made to participate in Christian religious ceremonies. Jewish children were taken from their families and brought up Catholic. Later, the Papal States became independent, over the vigorous opposition of the Popes. Catholic newspapers became an important method of disseminating information harmful to Jews. All of the pillars of modern anti-semitism were prominently discussed in these newspapers. The papers appeared in France, Austria, Germany, Italy and elswhere in Europe, well into the 20th century. Topics included Jewish conspiracies against European governments, hostility toward Christians, the need for Christian blood in religious ceremonies, obsession with money and power, and other negative topics. There were also racial topics, such as a terrible Jewish odor, even evident in people generations removed from their Jewish forbears. In addition, men wanting to become Jesuit priests had to prove they had no Jewish ancestors in the previous five generations. Sadly, these rules and discussions endured well into the 20th century. The Jesuit requirement, which was dropped in 1946, was cited by nazi's as support for their perverse racial theories. The Catholic Church itself was adept at minimizing the responsibilty for the consequences to Jews that have grown out such policies and publications. Fortunately, the current Pope seems to recognize the damage accruing to the church by those who seek to hide past actions. Spiritual growth depends on facing such things. As it is said, 'The truth will set you free...' The facts found in the Vatican archives are well researced and well reported by Mr. Kertzer. A rewarding read.
|
