This is the fifth in a series on Christianity and the history of antisemitism. While we are often reminded to, “Never forget,” many of us were never taught this history. The goal is to help us recognize when the church uses its power to harm marginalized groups—and to take action.

In previous articles, we explored how Christian antisemitism evolved from its Jewish roots, leading to centuries of persecution, forced conversions, expulsions, and massacres. We also examined how the Protestant Reformation, particularly Martin Luther’s writings, intensified antisemitism, setting the stage for further discrimination against Jews in both Catholic and Protestant Europe.

By the 19th and 20th centuries, antisemitism had become deeply ingrained in European culture, fueled by Christian theology, nationalist movements, and economic scapegoating. These factors played a direct role in Nazi ideology and the Holocaust, where centuries of religious prejudice were transformed into racial extermination policies.

This article will examine:

• The Continued Role of Christian Antisemitism in the 19th Century
• The Rise of Political and Racial Antisemitism
• The Influence of Christian Antisemitism on Nazi Ideology
• Christian Silence and Complicity During the Holocaust

1. The Continued Role of Christian Antisemitism in the 19th Century

Even as modernity and secularization spread across Europe, Christian antisemitism did not disappear. Instead, it adapted to new social and political realities, continuing to shape attitudes toward Jews.

The Catholic Church and Antisemitism in the 19th Century

• Pope Pius IX (1846–1878) maintained ghetto laws for Jews in Italy and called Jews “the enemies of Christ.”
• Blood Libel accusations continued—In Damascus (1840) and Hungary (1882), Catholic clergy spread false claims that Jews murdered Christian children for rituals.
• The Vatican opposed Jewish emancipation, arguing that Jews should remain inferior to Christians in society.

Protestant Europe and Antisemitism

• In Germany and Prussia, Luther’s anti-Jewish writings were widely circulated and used to justify excluding Jews from politics and education.
• In Russia, the Eastern Orthodox Church supported pogroms (violent riots against Jews), especially under the Tsars.

Jews were blamed for economic problems, accused of controlling banks, and falsely portrayed as threats to Christian nations. These ideas paved the way for racial antisemitism in the late 19th century.

2. The Rise of Political and Racial Antisemitism

By the late 19th century, a new form of antisemitism emerged—one that moved beyond religious hatred into racial and nationalist ideologies.

Key Developments in Racial Antisemitism

• The Dreyfus Affair (1894–1906, France)

  • Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French Army, was falsely accused of treason.
  • The Catholic Church and nationalist groups led a campaign against him, calling Jews a threat to France.
  • Even after evidence proved his innocence, many in the Church refused to accept it, showing deep institutional antisemitism.

• The Russian Pogroms (1881–1921)

  • Massacres of Jews were encouraged by the Russian Orthodox Church and Tsarist officials.
  • The Church spread Blood Libel myths to justify attacks.
  • Many Jews fled Russia, leading to mass migration to the United States and Palestine.

• The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (1903, Russia)

  • A forged document, created by Russian secret police, claimed Jews were plotting to control the world.
  • The Russian Orthodox Church promoted it, and it was widely spread in Europe.
  • Later, Hitler used it to justify Nazi antisemitism.

By the early 20th century, antisemitism had evolved from Christian religious hatred into a racial and nationalist conspiracy theory, setting the stage for the Holocaust.

3. The Influence of Christian Antisemitism on Nazi Ideology

When Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power in Germany (1933), they built their ideology on centuries of Christian antisemitism.

Christian Roots of Nazi Antisemitism

• Luther’s Writings Used by Nazis

  • Hitler praised Martin Luther as a German hero.
  • Nazi propaganda quoted Luther’s antisemitic works, including On the Jews and Their Lies.
  • Kristallnacht (1938)—the first nationwide attack on Jews—was carried out on Luther’s birthday as a symbolic act.

• The “Christ-Killer” Myth Used by Nazis

  • Nazi leaders repeated the medieval accusation that Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death.
  • Catholic and Protestant clergy failed to challenge this claim, allowing it to spread unchecked.

• Catholic and Protestant Churches Supported Hitler

  • Many German Protestant pastors welcomed Hitler, seeing him as a protector of Christian values.
  • The Catholic Church signed the Reichskonkordat (1933), a treaty that allowed the church to operate in Nazi Germany without opposing its antisemitic policies.
  • In Eastern Europe, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church largely remained silent as Jewish communities were exterminated.

4. Christian Silence and Complicity During the Holocaust

Christian Leaders Who Remained Silent

• Pope Pius XII (1939–1958)

  • The Vatican knew about the Holocaust but did not publicly condemn it.
  • While the pope helped some individual Jews, he never spoke against Nazi antisemitism.

• German Protestant Churches

  • The majority of Protestant churches supported Hitler or remained silent.
  • The “German Christian” movement blended Nazi ideology with Protestant theology.

• The Eastern Orthodox Church

  • In Russia and the Balkans, Orthodox clergy ignored or approved of Nazi persecution of Jews.
  • Some Orthodox priests even participated in anti-Jewish pogroms.

Christian Collaboration with the Nazis

• France – The Vichy Regime (1940–1944)

  • The Catholic Church in France cooperated with the Nazis, helping them deport Jews.
  • Some bishops later expressed regret, but the damage was done.

• Poland – Catholic Support for Antisemitic Policies

  • “While some Polish Catholics rescued Jews, many others supported Nazi antisemitism. and held antisemitic attitudes that persisted after the war. However, Poland’s post-war communist regime controlled all aspects of property restitution, nationalizing Jewish and non-Jewish properties alike. During this time, the Catholic Church was severely persecuted, with clergy imprisoned and church properties confiscated. Tensions existed between returning Jewish survivors and the Polish population,

• Croatia – The Ustaše Regime (1941–1945)

  • A Catholic-supported fascist government in Croatia actively helped Nazis kill Jews.
  • Catholic clergy participated in executions at the Jasenovac concentration camp.

Conclusion: Christian Antisemitism and the Holocaust

The Holocaust was not an isolated event—it was built on a foundation of Christian antisemitism that had existed for over 1,500 years.

• The “Christ-killer” myth, promoted by Christian churches, made Jews a permanent enemy of Christianity.
• Luther’s writings were used to justify Nazi antisemitism.
• Christian leaders failed to oppose Hitler’s policies.
• The Catholic and Orthodox churches collaborated with Nazi regimes in Eastern Europe.

By the end of World War II, over six million Jews had been murdered—not just because of Nazi ideology, but because centuries of Christian teachings had created an environment where antisemitism was accepted.

In the next article, “Christianity and Antisemitism: The Post-Holocaust Reinterpretation of Biblical Texts” we review what happened next.

The unprecedented horrors of Nazi genocide forced many Christian leaders and theologians to confront Christianity’s long history of antisemitism. In the decades that followed, churches, scholars, and religious institutions began re-examining biblical interpretations that had fueled Jewish persecution for centuries. This shift led to:

• The rejection of Jewish collective guilt for Jesus’ death.
• The repudiation of supersessionism (replacement theology).
• The discrediting of antisemitic myths like the “Wandering Jew”.
• The recognition of Judaism as an ongoing covenant with God.