The History of the Church and Antisemitism

A History of Support, Complicity and Resistance

(Part 1 of 2)

My greatest fear is that we will fail to learn from history—specifically, the role the Christian Church has played in fostering antisemitism, up to and including the Holocaust. Religious institutions, which should serve as moral beacons, have instead often been used to justify profoundly immoral and evil acts. From the early Church Fathers to Martin Luther and the Nazi-era ‘German Christians,’ Christian doctrine has been wielded both as a weapon of persecution and as a tool of resistance. Throughout history, biblical interpretations have reinforced discrimination, leading to forced conversions, expulsions, pogroms, and, ultimately, the Holocaust.

During the rise of Nazi Germany, the majority of Christians either supported Hitler or remained silent—choosing complicity over moral courage. However, a small but brave minority risked everything to oppose Hitler’s regime and protect Jewish lives. This historical pattern of support, complicity, and resistance is not just a relic of the past—it continues today, shaping modern discussions about faith, morality, and justice.

Here I explore the deep theological roots of Christian antisemitism, examine the Church’s response during the Holocaust, and highlight the individuals and movements who defied Nazi ideology in the name of true Christian faith. By confronting this uncomfortable history, we can ask a critical question: Will the Church continue to be complicit in hatred, or will it stand as a force for justice?

Part I: The Foundations of Christian Antisemitism

Antisemitism within Christianity did not emerge in the earliest days of the church but developed as Christian theology evolved and political power was consolidated. In the Apostolic period, there was little evidence of widespread antisemitism among early Christians. However, as Christianity distanced itself from its Jewish roots, hostility toward Jews became ingrained in Christian teachings.

The early Church Fathers played a significant role in shaping these views. They blamed the Jewish people for the crucifixion of Jesus, reinforcing the belief that Jews were an inherently sinful, apostate people. Many theologians used Romans 9 to argue that the Jewish people had been permanently rejected by God, with Christians and the church replacing them as God’s chosen people. This theological concept, known as supersessionism or replacement theology, laid the groundwork for centuries of persecution.

By the third century, the fusion of church and state meant that dissent from Christian doctrine was equated with treason against the ruling government. This led to the forced conversion of Jews, particularly in Spain, where the terms Conversos (Jewish converts to Christianity) and Crypto-Judaism (Jews secretly practicing their faith while outwardly conforming to Christianity) became widespread. The Christian empire saw little problem in executing heretics, whether they were other Christians or Jews.

By the fourth century, open hostility toward Jews became commonplace in Christian preaching. One of the most virulent voices was John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, who likened synagogues to pagan temples and described them as brothels and dens of vice. This demonization made Jews perpetual outsiders in Christian society, paving the way for violent discrimination.

Over time, false accusations against Jews became common. The Blood Libel—the belief that Jews kidnapped and killed Christian children for ritual purposes—emerged in medieval Europe. Jews were also falsely accused of poisoning wells and causing plagues, most notably during the Black Death, when entire Jewish communities were massacred. Forced segregation through ghettos and expulsions became the norm, reinforcing the idea that Jews were dangerous outsiders.

Then came Martin Luther, whose 1543 treatise, On the Jews and Their Lies, fueled some of the most extreme antisemitic policies in history. Luther called for the burning of synagogues, the destruction of Jewish homes, the banning of Jewish religious texts, and the forced labor or expulsion of Jews. His words eerily resemble the rhetoric of Nazi Germany centuries later:

“First, to set fire to their synagogues or schools…”
“Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed.”
“Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews.”
“Seventh, I recommend putting a flail, an ax, a hoe, a spade, a distaff, or a spindle into the hands of young, strong Jews and Jewesses and letting them earn their bread in the sweat of their brow…”

Many scholars argue that Martin Luther’s antisemitic writings helped lay the foundation for the Holocaust. Germany, a nation deeply rooted in Lutheranism, had already been shaped by centuries of Christian antisemitic teachings. According to historian Christopher J. Probst, Nazi propaganda frequently cited Luther’s works—particularly his calls to burn synagogues, expel Jews, and destroy their religious texts—as theological justification for their policies. Nazi officials embraced Luther as a ‘great German reformer’ whose views conveniently aligned with their racial ideology, reinforcing antisemitic sentiment in German society and giving moral legitimacy to reinforce their policies of segregation, violence, and extermination of Jews.  Luther’s antisemitic teachings were later cited by Nazi theologians as a moral and religious justification for the Nuremberg Laws (1935), which stripped Jews of their citizenship and rights. This demonstrates how Christian theology was co-opted to serve a genocidal ideology.

Nazi ideology not only dictated laws and policies but also shaped religious imagery, distorting Christian theology to serve its racial agenda. Since Jews were depicted as inferior and dangerous, the idea of a “Jewish-looking Jesus” was incompatible with Nazi ideology. Under the influence of the Deutsche Christen movement, depictions of Jesus were stripped of Semitic features and remade in the image of the Aryan ideal. In statues, paintings, and stained glass, Jesus was portrayed as a strong, Nordic figure—a direct contrast to Nazi propaganda’s dehumanizing portrayals of Jews as weak and corrupt.  As a result, Jesus—who was historically a Middle Eastern Jewish man—was gradually reimagined as Aryan, with European features, blond hair, and blue eyes, aligning with the Nazi vision of racial purity. This racial transformation of Jesus in religious art reflects the power of ideology to shape both theology and visual culture, weaponizing Christianity as a tool of racial superiority rather than a faith rooted in historical truth and justice.

Part II The Biblical Justification for Antisemitism

Throughout history, many Christian leaders and theologians used the Bible to justify the discriminatory treatment of Jews, reinforcing antisemitic attitudes that persisted for centuries and culminated in the Holocaust. Just as Christians used Scripture to defend slavery, they  interpreted biblical passages to portray Jews as cursed, rejected by God, and deserving of punishment.

1. Theological Justifications for Anti-Jewish Discrimination
2. The Charge of Deicide (Killing of Christ)

One of the earliest and most damaging accusations was the claim that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus. This belief was based on Matthew 27:25, where the Jewish crowd is said to have declared:

“His blood be on us and on our children!”

Many Christian leaders took this verse to mean that all Jews—throughout history—were collectively guilty of deicide (the murder of God) and thus subject to divine punishment.

This idea fueled centuries of persecution, expulsions, forced conversions, and massacres. It also influenced the ghettos of medieval Europe, where Jews were forcibly segregated and placed under severe legal restrictions.

1. Supersessionism (Replacement Theology)

Another major theological justification was supersessionism (replacement theology)—the belief that Christians had replaced Jews as God’s chosen people. This idea was derived from:

• Romans 9-11, where Paul discusses Israel’s rejection of Jesus.
• Hebrews 8:13, which calls the old covenant “obsolete.”

Christian theologians, from Augustine to Martin Luther, used these passages to argue that Jews had no legitimate claim to God’s promises. This theological rejection of Jewish identity led to their legal and social exclusion in Christian societies.

1. The “Wandering Jew” and the Curse of Cain

Christian tradition often portrayed Jews as eternally cursed and destined to suffer for rejecting Jesus. Some interpretations connected this with:

• The Curse of Cain (Genesis 4:11-12) – Some early theologians claimed Jews were like Cain, condemned to wander without a homeland as punishment for their sins.
• The “Wandering Jew” legend – A medieval myth suggested that a Jewish man who mocked Jesus on the way to the crucifixion was cursed to wander the earth, never finding rest.

Key Theological Justifications for Anti-Jewish Discrimination

These ideas reinforced the belief that Jews deserved their suffering and contributed to their marginalization.

1. Biblical Justifications for Legal and Social Persecution
2. Laws Restricting Jews Based on Biblical Precedents

Christian rulers often justified discriminatory laws against Jews by citing Old Testament precedents for isolating nonbelievers:

• Nehemiah 13:23-27 – This passage condemns intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews. Some Christian leaders used it to justify bans on Christian-Jewish marriage.
• Deuteronomy 23:19-20 – This passage allows charging interest to foreigners but not to fellow Israelites. Christian rulers distorted this to accuse Jews of usury (unfair lending practices), leading to economic restrictions.

These interpretations led to Jewish ghettos, economic marginalization, and periodic expulsions (such as from England in 1290 and Spain in 1492).

1. The Blood Libel and Ritual Murder Accusations

One of the most horrific Christian myths against Jews was the Blood Libel—the false accusation that Jews kidnapped and murdered Christian children for rituals.

• Some medieval Christians pointed to John 8:44, where Jesus says:
  “You belong to your father, the devil”
  …to claim Jews were demonic and capable of monstrous crimes.
• Psalm 59:12 was sometimes cited to suggest that Jewish suffering was deserved punishment:
  “For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride.”

This led to pogroms (violent riots against Jews), executions, and mass killings, particularly in Germany, England, and Russia.

The use of biblical texts to justify oppression has had devastating consequences—whether against Jews, enslaved people, or other marginalized groups. The church must confront its history of weaponizing Scripture to uphold power structures rather than justice. The truth is, the Christian church provided support for the killing of Jews centuries before the Holocaust. The killing of Jews was nothing new, just the scale of killing was.

Understanding how Christian theology fueled antisemitism is essential to preventing its resurgence. Faith should never be used as a tool of exclusion and persecution—instead, it should be a force for truth,  and justice.

The history of Christian antisemitism is not merely a chapter from the past—it is an ongoing moral reckoning that demands acknowledgment, accountability, and action. we must ask: Have we truly learned from history? The theological patterns that justified past oppression still persist today. White nationalism, Christian nationalism, and religious extremism continue to echo the same distortions of faith that fueled antisemitism for centuries. The fusion of religion with racial supremacy, nationalism, and political power remains a dangerous threat to both democracy and human rights. The Church stands at a crossroads: Will it continue to be complicit in hatred, or will it stand as a force for justice? The answer to this question will shape not just the Church’s legacy, but the future of faith itself.