BUCER (Butzer), MARTIN°

BUCER (Butzer), MARTIN ° (1491–1551), German religious reformer. Bucer displayed a characteristically ambivalent approach toward the Jews. Ostensibly preaching understanding for and love toward them, in practice his teachings stirred up hatred – his thesis being that the Jews, having scorned the message of Jesus, had, according to him, forfeited the promised privileges; however they still remained free to embrace Christian teachings, this being the ultimate destiny of Israel and the purpose of its survival. Like Martin Luther, Bucer regarded the Jews as the descendants of the Patriarchs, a people who had received the Commandments from God, but who had been rejected by Him in anger for not fulfilling His will. When Landgrave Philip of Hesse wished to give the Jews in his territories a definitive status (1538), Bucer and six Hesse clergymen offered their written opinion to the effect that the Jews should not be allowed to raise themselves above the Christians but should be confined to the lowest estate. Against the recriminations of Bucer, Joseph (Joselmann) of Rosheim appeared as spokesman on behalf of the Jews.

bibliography:

N. Paulus, in: Der Katholik, 3 (1891); Publikationen aus den Koeniglich-Preussischen Staatsarchiven, 5 pt. 1 (1880), 56ff. (Butzer's correspondence with Philip of Hesse); M. Maurer, in: K.H. Rengstorf and s.v. Kortzfleisch (eds.), Kirche und Synagoge, 1 (1968), 439–41; S. Stern, Josel von Rosheim (Eng., 1965), index; New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2 (1966), 844; A.K.E. Holmio, The Lutheran Reformation and the Jews (1949); C. Cohen, in: ylbi, 3 (1968), 93–101; Baron, Social², 13 (1969), 239ff.

[B. Mordechai Ansbacher]