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  • From: "Edgar M. Krentz" <ekrentz AT earthlink.net>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: E.Zuesse
  • Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2002 09:38:15 -0500


Dear Jack:

Regarding:

In "Concerning the Jews and Their Lies", 1543, Luther says: "venomous
beasts, vipers, disgusting scum, canders, devils incarnate. Their private
houses must be destroyed and devastated, they could be lodged in stables.
Let the magistrates burn their synagogues and let whatever escapes be
covered with sand and mud. Let them force to work, and if this avails
nothing, we will be compelled to expel them like dogs in order
not to expose
ourselves to incurring divine wrath and eternal damnation from
the Jews and
their lies." This one one of the founding keystones of the
Holocaust in a
Lutheran nation. Even the Lutheran church apologizes for it. What do you
wish done? Change history? Would that we could.


I do not justify this act of spleen written by a discouraged old man.
Luther, in my view, should have known better. The idea of it being one of
the founding keystones of the Holocaust is, I believe, a thesis that is more
than a little overstated. Certainly historians recognize that questions of
etiology and influence are not as simple as they may seem to some, and
statements: "this is the direct cause of that" are generally (in historical
studies, at least) wrong. Also, I would beg that Luther--who wrote many
things through the years--be given the same courtesy we would hope one day
might be accorded our own writings--that his writings be interpreted in the
context of all of his writings, and within the scope of his life and times.

I believe what Zeb was objecting to was this statement:

I don't know that I'm the master of polite discourse. I think it'd be fair
to say (in view of the above) that Luther had more than a few moments when
he wasn't. I don't know that it was an age of politesse and nuanced speech.
But really, is everybody an Osama? Is it fair to say that Luther (judged in
the context of all he spoke, and said, and stood for) is a "moral monster
filled with hatred"?

You may believe that what he wrote above gives you the right to say so. All
I can say then is I respectfully disagree. And that is all I will say on
this matter.

===============================
Paul O. Wendland
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary
wendlanp AT wls.wels.net

I agree with Paul above. Like Paul, I do not want to defend Luther, but only to explain a bit. He was not alone in this awful attitude to the Jewish people. In many cities in Europe Jews were locked into the ghetto at sunset. Luther's terrible language can be paralleled in other sixteenth century theologians. He was clearly a man of his times.

This is an explanation, not a defense. I trust that none of us will replicate Luther in what we say in our own time about Islam and Muslims. Luther, by the way, wrote in the second line of his hymn "Erhalt uns Herr bei deinem Wort" und steure Papst und Tuerken Mord [and direct murder on Pope and Turk]. That line has been changed in every Lutheran hymnal I know since the second World War--and rightly so. But it shows how strong language was in the sixteenth century in all controversies.

--
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Edgar Krentz Professor Emeritus of New Testament Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 East 55th Street
Chicago, IL 60615
Telephone: (773) 256-0773 Home Tel: 773-947-8105
Office e-mail: ekrentz AT lstc.edu Home e-mail: ekrentz AT earthlink.net
GHRASKW D' AEI POLLA DIDASKOMENOS.
"I grow older, learning many things all the time." [Solon of Athens]
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  • Re: E.Zuesse, Jack Kilmon, 09/04/2002
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: E.Zuesse, Paul O. Wendland, 09/04/2002
    • Re: E.Zuesse, Steve Black, 09/04/2002
    • Re: E.Zuesse, Edgar M. Krentz, 09/06/2002

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