For Protestants at least, the legacy of Martin Luther is largely positive. We view him as one of the many “heroes of the faith.” We honor his unflinching passion and stand for Biblical truth, along with many other qualities that have benefited the Christian Church. There is however, a “dark side” to the great reformer as well. Especially in light of WWII and the Holocaust, Luther has come under fire for his treatment of the Jews and his admirers have had to wrestle with this less-than-cheerful aspect of his thought.
The main issue within “Luther and the Jews” studies is the apparent difference in attitude and treatment proscribed by Luther between his first “Jewish” treatise of 1523 and his later very anti-Jewish treatises of 1543. The early Luther calls for his fellow Christians to deal gently with the Jews, to positively encourage them towards conversion and acceptance of Christ. The later Luther, however, lashes out against their willful stubbornness and calls for the officials to burn their synagogues and schools, and drive them from the region if they don’t convert.
This paper descriptively explores the various reasons offered to explain Luther’s attitude(s) toward the Jews. Emphasis is placed upon understanding Luther in his own historical context, how he compared to both his society in general as well as his intellectual world. The paper tentatively concludes that there is a theological continuity between the 1523 and 1543 treatises, but for various reasons Luther’s practical had changed.