Separation and Its Discontents: Toward an Evolutionary Theory of Anti-Semitism
Particular attention is paid to three major manifestations of Western anti-Semitism: the development of institutionalized anti-Semitism in the Roman Empire, the Iberian Inquisitions, and the phenomenon of Nazism. All of these movements exhibited a powerful gentile group cohesion in opposition to Judaism as a group strategy, and MacDonald argues that each may be analyzed as a reaction to the presence of Judaism as a highly successful group evolutionary strategy. Because of the repeated occurrence of anti-Semitism, Jews have developed a highly flexible array of strategies to minimize its effects. These include: crypsis during periods of persecution, controls on Jewish behavior likely to lead to anti-Semitism, and the manipulation of gentile attitudes toward Jews. This controversial work challenges prevailing views. Students and scholars involved with evolutionary approaches to human behavior and Jewish Studies will be interested, as will social scientists and historians in general. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 55
... church represented a qualitative shift from the anti - Semitism typical of the ancient world . The mutual hostilities between Jews and gentiles in the ancient world involved the " normal " mutual animosity between groups with differing ...
... Church was deliberately selected to emphasize anti- Semitic themes and exclude other voices , much as the priestly redaction of the Penta- teuch retained from earlier writings only what was compatible with Judaism as a diaspora ideology ...
... Church " remained effective guardians of the principle that the Jews must be kept in a position of servitude " ( Parkes 1976 , 108 ) . The medieval Church often worked vigorously to exclude Jews from economic and political influence and ...
Contents
THEMES OF ANTISEMITISM | 27 |
REACTIVE ANTISEMITISM IN | 89 |
THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD | 115 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Separation and Its Discontents: Toward an Evolutionary Theory of Anti-Semitism Kevin MacDonald No preview available - 2003 |
Common terms and phrases
References to this book
Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Development Robert G. Burgess,Kevin MacDonald Limited preview - 2005 |