Brooks Schramm & Kirsi Stjerna Session 1

Brooks Schramm & Kirsi Stjerna    
Gettysburg/PLTS     
“Luther and the Jews"
 
The presentations develop the claim that Protestant Christians, and most especially Lutherans, have an ethical obligation to come to terms with the writings of Martin Luther on ‘the Jews and Judaism’. Reading Luther with an eye toward ‘the Jewish question’ makes clear that, far from being tangential, the Jews are rather a central, core component of his thought, and that this was the case throughout his career, not just at the end. By probing the logic of Luther’s anti-Jewish arguments, the presentations will seek to ascertain how Luther’s attitudes towards the Jews shaped his interpretation of Scripture and his theology in general, as well as what problems this poses for modern readers. Attention will also be given to how Luther was different from and similar to his contemporaries and predecessors in this regard.