by Edward Flannery - a review
Hailed by Jews and Christians alike, The Anguish of the Jews by Edward Flannery is a thorough chronology of the events that gave rise to anti-Semitism throughout history. This book goes beyond mere historical accounting, it is a heart wrenching true tale of the horrific and sickening state of humanity for it reveals atrocities imposed on a people due to their race, and most notably, their religion. What makes this book profoundly disturbing is its sustained theme of the worst oppression upon the Jews by none other than the Church, in the name of Christ.
The book is also hopeful for it is an honest self assessment having Christian authorship. It is written by a Catholic priest, Father Flannery. He as the Director of Catholic-Jewish relations for the Bishop’s Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs is considered a pioneer in fostering Christian-Jewish relations. At his funeral, Rabbi A. James Rudin called Father Flannery “One of this centuries spiritual giants”. [1]
This book is required reading for every person who calls himself a Christian. It is simply necessary history. It is also necessary to uphold the Church’s commitment to the Jewish people. According to Father Flannery:
“How…can the Jew, laden with the knowledge of his/her people’s centuries-old oppression in Christendom, engage in fruitful dialogue with the Christian who is sincerely convinced that his/her partner in dialogue is simply too persecution minded? Or inversely, can the Christian dialogist, uninitiated to the dark pages of Jewish-Christian history, succeed any better with the Jewish partner who believes that Christians are fully familiar with these pages and yet callous concerning the persecution and suffering of his/her people?”
I appreciated Father Flannery’s definitions of anti-Semitism, anti-Judaism and anti-Zionism.
The book, as previously stated is thorough in its coverage. It begins with an ancient account from the Hellenistic world preceding Alexander the Great to the Roman occupation. This era is most familiar to Christians. Flannery delves into the various conflicts that spawned the separation of the Church from the Synagogue.
Bothersome to me was the hatred spawned by the writings of the early church fathers and apologists, namely Eusebius, Jerome, Augustine, and others. But Flannery is right when he points out that St. John Chrysostom stands unparalleled in his anti-Semitic rhetoric. One need only read Chrysostom to conclude that any attempts to defend or explain away his rage not only falls short but is on the extreme end of absurdity.
The book covers in detail the many ways in which Jews were persecuted throughout the centuries: massacres, torture, forced baptisms, degrading, forced conversions at the threat of death, taking children from their parents to be under the custody of the church, pogroms, blame and punishment for the plague and more. He covers the myth of the blood libel, massacres from the crusades, and of course the Holocaust which resulted in the death of over six-million Jews. This book is a new edition that adds coverage up through the last two decades.
In conclusion, I must quote Father Flannery himself:
"For the Christian reader – for whom it was especially written-it is a tragedy in which Jesus participates, crucified again in the person of His people at the hand of many baptized in His name."
I repeat my conviction that every Christian must read this very important work.
[1] Leaders Mourn Passing of Father Edward Flannery, A Pioneer in Catholic-Jewish Relations, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/1998/98-221.shtml