Luther’s anti-Semitism

Dear Editor,

Chris Sinkinson is right to remind us about Luther’s infamous writings against the Jews and to warn us about the dangers of anti-Semitism (‘Defending our faith’, June en, 2022). However, I would like to make a couple of observations.

Whatever the reasons for Luther’s growing hostility towards the Jews (there are several), I think his inflammatory language is inexcusable and we should not even try to offer any defence for it. The fact that he was ‘a man of his time’ is no excuse. It is sadly true that anti-Jewish sentiments were common at the time but other reformers were still shocked by his language. Luther himself had shown his ability to challenge the preconceptions of his own time and it is a shame that he was not able to do so with respect to anti-Semitism.

Finally, I think the key lesson for us is not simply to ‘watch our life and doctrine closely’ but to be on the lookout for any trace of anti-Semitism in our own heart. It is hard for Christians to accept that Jewish people are both ‘enemies with regards to the gospel’ but ‘beloved for the sake of their forefathers’, two verses from Paul that Luther knew well since he translated them into German.

Yours sincerely,
Stéphane Simonnin Twickenham. Lecturer, New Testament Greek and Church History, London Seminary