This is a repellent book, though of historical interest (which is why I've broached it). Even more repellent are some features of the abridged translation that I'm reading: despite some unconvincing disclaimers, it's pretty obvious that the publishers and editors are more-or-less endorsing Luther's anti-Semitic rantings.
I haven't felt this tainted by reading a book for a long time. In fact, I can't remember when I ever felt quite like this just about reading a book. Maybe reading a Gor novel, or something.
I wish someone would publish a scholarly, non-anti-semitic book detailing the practices of European Jewry which non-Jewish citizens objected to over the centuries. That is, of non-Jewish communities' grievances against Jewish communities.
ReplyDeleteEvery once in a while I'll stumble across a factoid along those lines which suprises me ("Gee, I'm really surprised that's not talked about more," etc.); it'd flesh out the whole matter of European anti-Semitism to have the information thoroughly gathered in one place.
(I suppose this goes for the Slavic countries as well.)
The big one was "usury" - which is kind of ironic now, as our whole economy is based on it. The rest seems mainly like crazy fantasies that Christians had about Jews. That's certainly how Luther's book reads.
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