In 1965 the Second Vatican Council declared that God loves the Jews. Before that; the Church had taught for centuries that Jews were cursed by God and; in the 1940s; mostly kept silent as Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis. How did an institution whose wisdom is said to be unchanging undertake one of the most enormous; yet undiscussed; ideological swings in modern history?The radical shift of Vatican II grew out of a buried history; a theological struggle in Central Europe in the years just before the Holocaust; when a small group of Catholic converts (especially former Jew Johannes Oesterreicher and former Protestant Karl Thieme) fought to keep Nazi racism from entering their newfound church. Through decades of engagement; extending from debates in academic journals; to popular education; to lobbying in the corridors of the Vatican; this unlikely duo overcame the most problematic aspect of Catholic history. Their success came not through appeals to morality but rather from a rediscovery of neglected portions of scripture.From Enemy to Brother illuminates the baffling silence of the Catholic Church during the Holocaust; showing how the ancient teaching of deicide-according to which the Jews were condemned to suffer until they turned to Christ-constituted the Church's only language to talk about the Jews. As he explores the process of theological change; John Connelly moves from the speechless Vatican to those Catholics who endeavored to find a new language to speak to the Jews on the eve of; and in the shadow of; the Holocaust.
#1992772 in Books Belknap Press 2010-11-08 2010-12-08Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.30 x 6.40l; 1.50 #File Name: 0674047044384 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Timeless courtroom tactics meet the defenders of slaveryBy Steven J. HarperMost people are unfamiliar with the fugitive slave trials during the decade immediately preceding the Civil War. In this masterful account; Professor Lubet reveals the singular significance of those proceedings. Even more importantly; he depicts the fascinating intersection of courtroom strategy with the forces that fractured the nation. An effective historical summary of the slavery problem that plagued the Union from its earliest days sets a perfect stage for the book's main event: the detailed examination of a handful of fugitive slave trials. Focusing on the litigants; the lawyers; and the judges; Lubet produces a compelling narrative. In this absorbing account; attorneys pursuing their principal missions -- the zealous representation of their clients in individual cases -- became central players in shaping the larger controversy that split the country.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Valuable History LessonBy deb77People toss around the term that slaves were three-fifths of a man. Until I read this book I didn't know the awful origin of this; and how our nations founders incorporated slavery; and legislative power for the slave-holding states; into the Constitution.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Legal Thriller from 150 years agoBy J. hinkelSteven Lubet has managed to write an important book about the Runaway Slave Act in such a wonderful fashion that it reads like a current day legal thriller. This book is great for sosmeone interested in serious history or a good legal drama
