Rating: 
Summary: A stunning denunciation
Review: Constantine's Sword is stunning in its frank denunciation of the Church's history of anti-Judaism and the direct line drawn between the Church's 1900 years of official, virulent contempt for Jews, and the Holocaust. It deals in a compelling manner with much of the same material that I use in my historical novel, The Heretic, which describes the virulent anti-Judaism immediately preceding the Spanish Inquisition.
Rating: 
Summary: Perhaps the most important question in Western history
Review: Did the Christian faith, by continuing a tradition ofJew-hating for two thousand years, enable Hitler and the Nazis to killsix million Jews during World War II?Malcolm Hay (in his excellentbook, "Europe and the Jews") was the first author who raisedthis point for me. James Carroll has read Malcolm Hay, and he takesthe question very seriously indeed, as he should -- as should all ofus. How could a Gospel of Love have become twisted into a Church ofHate? How could that hatred have been so profound that the Popesfailed to openly oppose the Nazi genocide? How could that hatred havebeen so profound that virtually everyone tried to overlook it, andonly now are we discovering Swiss banks holding massive fundsbelonging to Jewish victims? Carroll faces the facts in this book:the Catholic faith stands condemned by its historical record, as afailed, broken faith. There can be no excuses for such a massivefailure. Carroll is seeking new points of departure for Christianity,points which integrally involve respect for Judaism (and other majorworld religions, I would imagine). This is a humbling and troublingbook, which everyone should look into. It fails to get five starsbecause it is too wordy, and much too much... It should be possible towrite good history without dragging... your own personal reaction toevery political event since the 1960's, but that would violate thecurrent trend, I guess, where every reporter wants to put his... atthe central point of every book.
Rating:
Summary: Learn!
Review: This is one of the finest works of historical authorship that I have ever encountered. A highly researched, extremely well-written and extraordinarily insightful account of 2000 years of Church-fostered antisemitism and acts of Jew hatred. The author is a Catholic. An original, perpetuated and exploited misconstrual of the Christ story by the Catholic Church, with the cross as its symbol, led to the Crusades, the Inquisition, Jewish Ghettos, Nazi ascent and ultimately enabled the holocaust. Jews must read this book to understand their historic persecution. Christians must read this book as a wake-up call to heal their faith.
Rating:
Summary: Enlightening
Review: What a book! In my mind, the question of "how was it possible that Jews could be sujected to the Holocaust while the European people watched" is answered fully. Furthermore, as a Christian-born, this book provides a thorough understanding on the roots of this religion, its goods and bads. A must-read book for anyone, no matter what their religion is.
Rating:
Summary: A dour look at an unhappy topic
Review: "Constantine's Sword" is a hard book to like and harder to disregard. Author James Carroll traces Christianity's tension and hostility toward Judaism throughout the ages, starting with the anti-Jewish tone of the Gospels, and continuing through the Holocaust and beyond. This book is depressing, partly because of the innumerable instances of Jew-hatred through 2000 years of Western history, and partly due to Carroll's humorless and gloomy writing style.
There are benefits to reading this book, whether one likes Carroll or not. Christians needs always to remember the suffering that has been caused in the name of Christ, from pogroms, to ghettos to blood libels. It's good to recall that Christianity is rooted in the experience of a sect that had not worked out its relationship to Judaism. It's helpful also to reflect on modern assumptions about, for instance, the seemingly anti-Judaistic writings of Paul. We Christians should also witness ways that our coreligionists have been so insistent on seeing every Christian advance as a defeat for the Jews. The legend of St. Helen's finding of the True Cross, for instance, is sullied by alleging the unhappiness of Jews at the discovery.
On the negative side, Carroll rarely cuts Christianity any slack. Every Christian and every Christian act seems subtly yet undeniably tied up with hatred of Jews. Every attempt of the Church to reverse or limit anti-semitism is questioned or minimized. "Nostra Aetate," the landmark Church document repudiating Jew hatred and the abominable charge of deicide, does not go far enough, in Carroll's telling, since it does not dismantle the supposed antisemitism present in the Gospels themselves. Historical figures are judged only on their anti-Jewish actions. Pope Pius XII is not my favorite pope, but there's more to his pontificate than his alleged lack of action toward the Jews. It sometimes seems that Carroll would be satisfied only by a wholesale dismantling of Christianity, scouring the faith to its supposed bedrock, assuming that it would then be purged of blood guilt toward the Jews. Such a scenario is as naïve as it is unlikely.
Carroll has done a great service by uncovering heretofore unknown aspects of the Christian story. However, by lashing Christianity so firmly to the stake of anti-semitism, he overlooks the fact that peoples grow and change, and that forgiveness and reconciliation are possible -- even between oppressors and their victims.
Rating: 
Summary: dismal
Review: In an effort to promote his politically correct beliefs, Carroll twists, avoids, and discards the facts about Constantine and the Early Church neglecting for example, to include the many acts of significant anti Christian violence perpetrated by Jews against the fledgling Christian communities.
This is a bland and faulty personal trip into the past relying on contemporary sources suporting his own thesis but not delving into the archives. This book should not be taken as anything approaching objectivity and as such deserves neither merit nor attention.
Rating: 
Summary: A pretty good read
Review: What could have turned into a Christian bashing essay, James Carroll has made into a non-bias, equal account of the Catholic churches behaviour and conduct concerning the Jews throughout history. Although it is primarily geared toward the faults of the Catholic church, Mr. Carroll is quick to point out the mistakes on behalf of Protestants, and the Orthodox church, as well. Along with this, he does not fail to mention the fact that many people see Jewish history as one big painful misery, and if looked at this way, the ability it has to cloud your vision of the past. I would recommend this book to anyone who has the slightest interest in religious history (Christian or not), and for those who are looking for a better understanding of current day events. It may be a little heavy at times, but if given the chance, and read with an open mind, it is a very enlightening read.
Rating:
Summary: Quick Review
Review: I was not well acquainted with the history of the Catholic church or Christianity and found the book to be completely fascinating reading. A real eye opener, very well written and easy to read. The book is undoubtedly controversial and should most likely be balanced by some other points of view.
Rating:
Summary: Great subject, good history, overwrought conclusions
Review: This is a timely, important book. The subject of this book is the devastating effect of Christianity on Jews as far as the actions of the Catholic Church. Protestants can read in the actions of their own churches and both will find his discussions of the Gospels provocative. Making the effort to overlook his "Boomer academic" conclusions is well worth it for any serious student of the Bible and anyone involved in religious education.
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