ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the idea of traditional Christian antisemitism insofar as this idea relates to the Christian sign of the cross. The seed of Christianity sprouted within the context of a nation and a religion which were subordinate to Roman imperial power, the Jews and Judaism. Jesus himself was a practicing Jew from Galilee who was aware of the political situation, and who is represented as eventually utilizing this situation as an instrument for following through on his own masochistic and grandiose inclinations. A key factor in stirring up hatred against Jews is the long Christian tradition of anti-Jewish polemics which extends from the first century down even to the present day in many parts of the Christian world. The Adversus Judaeos tradition is complex, involving various genres, reflecting various degrees of Christian contact with Jews of different communities and time periods, written in a variety of languages, and exhibiting all possible degrees of hostility toward Judaism and the Jews.
