Paul Tillich and Judaism before and during his emigration

Infos

In contrast to contemporary Protestant theology, Paul Tillich had already taken an interest in the "living" Judaism of his time in the 1920s. After emigrating to the USA in 1933 following Hitler's rise to power, he repeatedly commented on Nazi anti-Semitism, particularly after the Reichspogromnacht in 1938.

Dauer

90 minutes

Kompetenzen

Using the example of his reflections on Judaism, students will recognise the extent to which Tillich differed from the theologians of his time in questions of anti-Semitism.

Materialien

Videoclip „Literatur des 20. Jahrhunderts – Bücherverbrennung – 1933“ [= "Literature of the 20th century - book burning - 1933"]

Stephanie Lerke/Jan Christian Pinsch: „That their synagogue or school be set on fire...“ (2020)

https://blogs.uni-paderborn.de/zekkblog/2020/10/30/dass-man-ihre-synagoge-oder-schule-mit-feuer-anstecke/ (German page - please use your browser's translator)

Download:

Lutheranism and religious socialism:
Hitler's rise to power, book burning and exile:
Tillich, Paul, Die Kirche und das Dritte Reich. Zehn Thesen:
Wiese, Christian, Spuren des Dialogs mit Martin Buber in Paul Tillichs Reflexionen über Judentum und „Judenfrage“, in: Schreiber, Gerhard/Schulz, Heiko (Hg.), Kritische Theologie. Paul Tillich in Frankfurt (1929-1933) (Tillich Research; 8), Berlin 2015, 361-410.:

Themenfelder

Task 1

Read the text ‘That their synagogue or school be set on fire...’ by Stephanie Lerke and Jan Christian Pinsch and summarise the extent to which Martin Luther's attitude towards Judaism is a difficult theological legacy for the Protestant Church in Germany, especially in view of today's phenomena of anti-Semitism.

Task 2

English version in progress.

Task 3

Watch the video clip about the book burning 1933 and write down your impressions. Imagine what it must have been like for Paul Tillich to witness the book burning in Frankfurt and to have to assume that his own writings would also be burnt.

Task 4

English version in progress.