"Heart-Rending Ambivalence": Jacques Maritain and the Complexity of Postwar Catholic Philosemitism

Philosopher Jacques Maritain (1882-1973) embraced a quest for sanctity at the core of his vocation as a French Catholic intellectual. Known as an exponent of the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas, he also devoted considerable energies to the promotion of democracy and human rights, as well as th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Studies in Christian-Jewish relations
Main Author: Crane, Richard Francis (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations 2011
In: Studies in Christian-Jewish relations
Year: 2011, Volume: 6, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-16
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Summary:Philosopher Jacques Maritain (1882-1973) embraced a quest for sanctity at the core of his vocation as a French Catholic intellectual. Known as an exponent of the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas, he also devoted considerable energies to the promotion of democracy and human rights, as well as the combat against antisemitism. Maritain has been lauded for his sometimes courageous attempts to eradicate anti-Jewish prejudice from the Christian conscience, though some prevailing interpretations oversimplify this thinker's motivations and ideas. Keeping in mind the historically-contingent and often ambivalent nature of philosemitism, this article analyzes Maritain's postwar writings on the Jewish Question and his interactions with Popes Pius XII and Paul VI, Anglican theologian James Parkes, Jewish historians Leon Poliakov and Jules Isaac, and fellow Catholic writers Paul Claudel and Francois Mauriac.
ISSN:1930-3777
Contains:Enthalten in: Studies in Christian-Jewish relations
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.6017/scjr.v6i1.1820