Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust / Edition 1

by John K. Roth, Carol Rittner

Overview

Collaborative effort by a number of the world's leading experts on the Holocaust. Lively, but not sensationalistic, this book is balanced but on the cutting edge of one of the most important debates in this field: how should Vatican policies during World War II be understood? Specifically, could Pope Pius XII have curbed the Holocaust by vigorously condemning the Nazi killing of Jews? Was Pius XII really 'Hitler's Pope', as John Cornwell's provocative book recently suggested? Or has he unfairly become a scapegoat when he is really deserving of canonization as a Roman Catholic saint instead? In Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust, well-informed scholars--including Michael Marrus, Michael Phayer, Richard L. Rubenstein and Susan Zuccotti--wrestle with these questions. The book has four main themes: (1) Pope Pius XII must be understood in his particular historical context. (2) Pope Pius XII put the well-being of the Roman Catholic Church--as he understood that well-being--first and foremost. (3) In retrospect, Pope Pius XII's priorities--understandable though they are--not only make him a problematic Christian leader but also raise important questions about post-Holocaust Christian identity. (4) Jewish and Christian memories of the Holocaust will remain different, but reconciliation can continue to grow. On all sides, relations between Christians and Jews can be improved by an honest facing of history and by continuing reflection about what post-Holocaust Christian and Jewish identities ought--and ought not--to mean.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826475664
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/01/2004
Series:	Leicester History of Religions
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.64(d)

About the Author

John K. Roth is the Pitzer Professor of Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College, where he has taught since 1966. In 1988, he was named National Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Roth is a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council in Washington. Carol Rittner, R.S.M., is distinguished professor of holocaust and genocide studies at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

Table of Contents

Introduction - Carol Rittner and John K. Roth Part I: Historical Context 1. The Role of the Holy See during the Holocaust - Michael Marrus (University of Toronto) 2. What is Known Today? - Eugene R. Fisher (interpreter of Jewish-Christian Relations) 3. Reflections on Pope Pius XII - John T. Pawlikowski 4. Questions Concerning Pope Pius XII - Eva Fleischner (scholar in Catholic-Jewish relations) 5. Same Facts, Different Interpretations - Albert H. Friedlander Part II: The Ethics of Vatican Policy 6. Ethical and Unethical Papal Policy - Michael Phayer (Marqette University) 7. Pope Pius XII: A Reappraisal - Sergio Minerbi (scholar-diplomat, Israel) 8. Hungary 1944: Pope Pius XII and Vatican Policy - John F.l Morley (Seton Hall University) 9. Pope Pius XII and the Rescue of Jews during the Holocaust: Challenging Unfounded Assertions - Susan Zuccotti Part II: Religious Responsibilities 10. Pope Pius XII: the Issue of Religious Limitation - Gershon Greenberg (American University, Washington DC.) 11. 'High Ideals' and 'Innocuous Reaction': An American Protestant Reflects on ope Pius XII and the Holocaust - John K. Roth 12. Pope Pius XII and the Shoah - Richard L. Rubenstein 13. Some Thoughts on Pius XII and the Holocaust - Doris L. Bergen (University of Notre Dame) Postscript - Carol Rittner and John K. Roth