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A Debate on Jewish Emancipation and Christian Theology in Old Berlin

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title A Debate on Jewish Emancipation and Christian Theology in Old Berlin
Authors and Contributors      By (author) David Friedlander
By (author) Friedrich Schleiermacher
By (author) Wilhelm Abraham Teller
Edited by Richard Crouter
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:192
Dimensions(mm): Height 216,Width 140
Category/GenrePhilosophy of religion
Christian theology
ISBN/Barcode 9780872207196
ClassificationsDewey:261.260943
Audience
General

Publishing Details

Publisher Hackett Publishing Co, Inc
Imprint Hackett Publishing Co, Inc
Publication Date 15 September 2004
Publication Country United States

Description

When wealthy Jewish industrialist David Friedlander proposed in 1799 that Berlin's Jews undergo a sham conversion to Christianity in return for full German citizenship, he touched off a political and theological debate that would continue to define the relation between Jewish and German identity for more than a century. In the series of provocative letters collected here, Friedlander, Protestant leader Wilhelm Abraham Teller, and young Christian theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher debate Friedlander's radical proposal. In so doing, they grapple with many of the thorny problems -- such as citizenship, religious tolerance, and assimilation -- that continue to vex world political leaders today. Richard Crouter's Introduction provides the cultural, religious, and historical context for this compelling exchange; a postscript by Julie Klassen reveals the ways in which Germany's minorities continue to be marginalised more than two hundred years after Friedlander made his passionate appeal for political liberty and human rights.

Author Biography

Richard Crouter is John M. and Elizabeth W. Musser Professor of Religious Studies Emeritus, Carleton College.

Reviews

"One of the most fascinating and, indeed, seminal debates in the protracted struggle of German Jewry to gain full citizenship and civic equality. As the translators make clear in their learned and generally lucid Introduction, this debate illuminates the enduring difficulty of modern nation states to establish a civic society that is, if not religiously neutral, at least inclusive... It will surely enter the canon of standard works in the study of modern Jewish history..." -- Paul Mendes-Flohr, Hebrew University.