Nietzsche, God, and the Jews

His Critique of Judeo-Christianity in Relation to the Nazi Myth

By Weaver Santaniello
Foreword by David Tracy

Subjects: Philosophy Of Religion
Paperback : 9780791421369, 232 pages, September 1994
Hardcover : 9780791421352, 232 pages, October 1994

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Table of contents

Foreword

Abbreviations

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: Nietzsche's Life and Cultural Christianity, 1844-1900

1. Nietzsche's Early Years and the Break with Wagner

2. Zarathustra's World contra the Sister's

3. Christianity, Culture, and the Volk

Part II: The Mature Writings, 1883-1888

4. Thus Spoke Zarathustra: Creation, Redemption, and the Birth of a Dancing Star

5. Toward the Genealogy of Morals: The Dionysian Drama of the Destiny of the Soul

6. Antichrist: The Justice of Yahweh versus the Judgment of Christ

Conclusion: The Nazis' Mythologizing of Nietzsche

Notes

Select Bibliography

Index

Description

Combining biography and a careful analysis of Nietzsche's writings from 1844-1900, this book explores Nietzsche's critique of Christianity, Judaism, and antisemitism. The first part of the book is concerned with psychological aspects and biographical elements. Part Two focuses on the ethical and political aspects of Nietzsche's views as presented in his mature writings: Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Toward the Genealogy of Morals, and the Antichrist.

Reviews

"The chronological approach enlightens Nietzsche's developing views toward Jews. The so far neglected subject of Jewish-Christian relations in nineteenth-century Germany in reference to Nietzsche's thought is illuminated and interestingly discussed. The topic is vital for Nietzsche studies and central for understanding the intellectual, political, and historical categories that pre-existed in Germany in the nineteenth century. " — Jacob Golomb, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

"The existential-vital appropriation of Nietzsche's work is an interesting and a refreshing alternative to many contemporary analyses of Nietzsche. The book traces some of the roots of twentieth-century German philosophical connections with Nazism and responses to Judaism, a topic of much recent interest, especially in relation to Heidegger's philosophy and politics. With the boom in Nietzsche scholarship over the past decade or so, this book is a most welcome addition to the field. " — James P. Cadello, Regis University