Judenrein Christianity – Part 4: The Soft Touch

Today, of course, we style ourselves to be “enlightened” and “tolerant.” We are horrified, and rightly so, at the persecution, torture, and murder of Jews through the centuries in the name of Jesus Christ. We would like to think that “true Christians” would never visit such harm on the Jews, but the Homilies of John …

Judenrein Christianity – Part 3: Martin Luther

Christians of a Protestant background also have some black marks in their history. The greatest of them are found in the person of Martin Luther, whose 95 Theses lit a fire of Reformation that the Catholic Church was never after able to put out.  When he first started out, Luther was actually very pro-Jewish for …

Judenrein Christianty – Part 2: The Continuing Betrayal

Sadly, Justin Martyr was actually pretty tolerant by the standards of Gentile Christianity. At least he would associate with Jewish, Torah-observant believers, even if he was disdainful of them.  But even disdainful, condescending tolerance would not last in the Church. Others actively attacked those who kept “Jewish” practices, such as celebrating the Pascha (Passover) on …

Judenrein Christianity – Part 1: The Philosopher and the Pharisee

It began with a chance meeting on the streets of Ephesus between two men from the recently-renamed Roman province of Palestina. Justin of Neopolis, a Greek philosopher-turned-Christian, had crossed the path of Rabbi Tarfon, who was himself fleeing the terror of the revenge of the Roman armies for the revolt of Shimon bar Kochba. Justin, …