The Crucified Jew: Twenty Centuries of Christian Anti-Semitism - Tapa dura

The author finds the roots of modern anti-Semitism in Christianity itself. The followers of Christ believed themselves to be the true heirs of the covenant with God that the Jews had rejected. Even their scriptures - the New Testament - express a deep distrust of the tradition into which Christ himself was born. As the centuries unfold in a grim and unrelenting chronicle, the Jewish people are vilified for their role in Jesus' death and for rejecting him as their saviour. They are caricatured as a dark force seeking to undermine Chritianity, whether by political or supernatural means. The book concludes with a study of anti-Semitism in post-war Europe, where the church has at last made some attempt to repent for past sins, and to open a meaningful exchange with its Jewish brothers and sisters. The author argues that this initiative is vital.