Demonizing the Other: Antisemitism, Racism and Xenophobia [Paperback]

At the close of the twentieth century the stereotyping and demonization of 'others', whether on religious, nationalist, racist, or political grounds, has become a burning issue. Yet comparatively little attention has been paid to how and why we fabricate images of the 'other' as an enemy or 'demon' to be destroyed. This innovative book fills that gap through an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural approach that brings together a distinguished array of historians, anthropologists, psychologists, literary critics, and feminists.
The historical sweep covers Greco-Roman Antiquity, the MIddle Ages, and the MOdern Era. Antisemitism receives special attention because of its longevity and centrality to the Holocaust, but it is analyzed here within the much broader framework of racism and xenophobia. The plurality of viewpoints expressed in this volume provide fascinating insights into what is common and what is unique to the many varieties of prejudice, stereotyping, demonization, and hatred.Robert S Wistrich is Neuberger Professor of Modern European History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and scholar-in-residence at the Center for Jewish Studies, Harvard University. Among his many books is the award-winning Antisemitism: The Longest HatredList of illustrations Foreword Introduction: The Devil, the Jews, and hatred of the 'Other' Robert S. Wistrich Part 1 1. Demonising the 'Other' Harumi Befu 2. Why do stereotypes stick? Yaccov Schul and Henri Zukier 3. The demonization of the 'Other' in the visual arts Ziva Amishai-Maisels 4. Antisemitism and Other -isms in the Greco-Roman world Daniel R. SChwartz 5. Jews and Christians in the MIddle AGes: Shared myths, common language Israel J. Yuval 6. Jews and Christians in Medieval Muslim thought Hava Lazarus-Yafeh 7. Transformation of hatred: Antisemitism as a struggle for group identity Henri Zukier 8. The borrowed identity: Neo-Pagan reactions to the Jewish roots of Christianity Shmuel Almogl!