Why “Christian” Antisemitism Is Making a Dangerous Comeback
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By Dr. Susan Michael, Crosswalk.com
Many Evangelical Christians will argue that there is no such thing as “Christian antisemitism.” For them, it is a contradiction of terms—an oxymoron. They do not believe a “true” Christian can be antisemitic. Unfortunately, history has proven otherwise.
Jews and Christians have had a history of contentious relations. What started in the first century as an internal squabble among Jews over the messiahship of Jesus became a split into two separate religions, both struggling to differentiate from the other and survive under brutal Roman rule. Once Christianity became the official state religion of the Roman Empire in the fourth century, anti-Jewish theology paved the way for degrading laws and state-sanctioned persecutions, ghettos, and expulsions. Centuries of this type of religiously motivated and state-empowered antisemitism prepared the way for the Nazi Holocaust. While Christianity did not cause the Holocaust, Christian antisemitic writings were distributed widely by the Nazis to silence church opposition to the annihilation of the Jews. Christian anti-Judaism and the centuries of antisemitism it spawned made the Holocaust possible.
What Is Christian Antisemitism?
Let me be clear that Christianity is not antisemitic. Hundreds of millions of Bible-based Christians around the world today love Israel and the Jewish people. They understand that Christianity would not exist were it not for the Jewish people and their everlasting covenant with the God of Israel. But the Bible can be used by twisted minds to say all sorts of things. Hateful people can interpret and quote Scripture in hateful ways and use it to support their antisemitic sentiments. When professing Christians use Scripture to denigrate the Jewish people and support antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories, it is referred to as Christian antisemitism.
What Is Christian Antisemitism Based On?
The theological foundation for Christian teaching against the Jewish people is known as Replacement Theology. Replacement Theology posits that the Jews were cursed by God for their rejection of Jesus’ messianic credentials and therefore have been replaced by the church in the plans and purposes of God. Historically, this theology often led to the teaching of contempt for the Jews as “Christ-killers” and gave sanction to their maltreatment.
Where Is Christian Antisemitism Today?
Not everyone who holds to a form of Replacement Theology is antisemitic. Some theologians simply interpret the New Testament in this way—and therefore spiritualize much of the Old Testament to support it—but have absolutely no ill intent toward anyone. Many pastors hold replacement views as a theological assumption, yet have never been taught the ramifications of such faulty hermeneutics required to support it. This more benign form of American Evangelical Replacement Theology may not be the antisemitic version of the past that went on to call for the persecution and demonization of the Jews. Nevertheless, it is the same theological foundation from which Christian antisemitism sprouts, and we must correct it in all its variants.
In 2018, a well-known pastor of one of the largest churches in America published his concerns about the loss of Christian faith among young people. He blamed the influence of Judaism and the Old Testament, which he described as irrelevant and having been replaced by the “brand-new and different” teachings and ethics of Jesus. He portrayed Judaism as hypocritical, self-righteous, and exclusivist, and claimed the apostle Paul considered it an eroding influence on the beauty, simplicity, and appeal of the early church. He went so far as to blame the sins of the church throughout history on the influence of Judaism and the Old Testament.
This kind of distancing rarely appears as open hostility. More often, it emerges subtly—through teaching that sidelines the Hebrew Scriptures, ignores the Jewish context of Jesus, or frames Judaism as a hindrance to Christian grace. Over time, however, these types of assumptions normalize the idea that the church has replaced Israel, whether it was intended or not. History has shown that these types of theological assumptions do not remain abstract. When repeated over time, they can shape cultural attitudes toward the Jewish people and Israel. Modern antisemitism did not emerge overnight; many scholars agree that the Holocaust could never have happened had it not been for the centuries of Christian antisemitism rooted in this type of theology.
A more recent disturbing trend influencing Christians’ views about Israel is right-wing media voices willing to platform antisemitic rhetoric. Tucker Carlson—a conservative American political commentator and a self-described Christian—has echoed themes consistent with Replacement Theology. This false belief suggests the church has replaced Israel in God’s purposes and plans and, thus, the modern Jewish State has no biblical or covenantal significance. By doing so, he positions Israel as just another geopolitical performer, rather than the set-apart nation—rooted in eternal covenant promises—that God created them to be.
From that theological stance, Carlson has increasingly amplified voices hostile to Israel and the Jewish people. Last year, for example, he interviewed and affirmed extremist commentator Nick Fuentes, who claims that Zionist Jews put Israel’s interests before American interests. Fuentes, who has a large following, has openly praised Adolf Hitler, promotes the idea that a Jewish-led elite is deliberately replacing white populations with non-white immigrants, and says Jews hold dual national loyalties.
Carlson and podcaster Candace Owens both compared Charlie Kirk’s assassination to the killing of Jesus, reviving the “deicide” or “Christ-killer” charge against the Jewish people. And Owens has increasingly leaned into overt antisemitism—even claiming Zionists were behind the transatlantic slave trade. She has grossly characterized Israel as an “occult nation” by citing the Star of David as a “cultic hexagram.” This is why the spike in antisemitism we are witnessing today in America matters—we should be deeply concerned by what we are seeing and hearing and learn to refute it.
While this generation is privileged to witness a historic correction in the church’s relationship with the Jewish people, we must not take this progress for granted. Antisemitism is surging, and disturbing trends within American churches must be confronted if this budding partnership is to endure. “Christian antisemitism” should be an oxymoron—but making it so requires vigilance. The responsibility begins at home. If antisemitism is to be pushed back in our nation, the American church must lead the way and relegate so-called Christian antisemitism to the dustbin of history.
This article was originally published on May 13, 2020, at: https://icejusa.org/2020/05/13/does-christian-anti-semitism-exist/
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For over 40 years, Dr. Susan Michael has advanced the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) in the USA and worldwide. She serves as the USA President and sits on the ICEJ’s international Board of Directors. She is frequently asked to address complex issues to diverse audiences—including antisemitism, Jewish-Christian relations, and Middle East affairs—and does so with clarity and grace. Dr. Michael leads the American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI) network, has authored books, such as Encounter the 3D Bible: How to Read the Bible so It Comes to Life, and has developed educational resources, including the IsraelAnswers website, ICEJ U online courses, and curricula for Christian colleges.
