Antisemitism in Christianity: Difference between revisions

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==The Church Fathers==

The following statements have been used to justify persecution of Jews. Many of the following people were recognized as saints by the Church; none of them explicitly advocated physical violence or murder, sometimes arguing, like [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]], that the Jews should be left alive and suffering as a perpetual reminder of their murder of Christ.

* [[Constantine I (emperor)|Constantine I]] instituted several legislative measures concerning the Jews: they were forbidden to own Christian slaves or to [[brit milah|circumcise]] their slaves. Conversion of Christians to [[Judaism]] was outlawed. Congregations for [[Jewish services|Jewish religious services]] were restricted. Constantine also supported the separation of the date of [[Easter]] from the Jewish [[Passover]], stating in his letter after the [[First Council of Nicaea]]: "... it appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin, and are, therefore, deservedly afflicted with blindness of soul. ... Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way." (Eusebius, ''Life of Constantine'' Vol. III Ch. XVIII [http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/25023.htm])

* [[Eusebius of Caesarea]], in [[325]], blames the calamities which befell the Jewish nation on the Jews' role in the death of Jesus: "that from that time seditions and wars and mischievous plots followed each other in quick succession, and never ceased in the city and in all Judea until finally the siege of Vespasian overwhelmed them. Thus the divine vengeance overtook the Jews for the crimes which they dared to commit against Christ. " (Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History: Book II, Chapter 6: The Misfortunes which overwhelmed the Jews after their Presumption against Christ) [http://web.cbn.org/bibleresources/theology/eusebius/churchhistory/eusebius-b2-7.asp]