Synopses & Reviews
People of Oberammergau have received highest praise for their fidelity through 350 years. But Friedman asks questions that must be addressed: Can the traditional text be reconciled with the Gospels? Does the play generate harmful, stereotypic images of Jews? Is the Passion truly a hymn of reconciliation or is it, as Nietzsche said of Wagners Meistersinger, a lance against civilization?”
Review
Legitimized by its putative religiosity, the Oberammergau Passion play has remained one of the few respectable anachronisms of folkloristic anti-Semitism in the Western world. Saul Freidmans work assuredly is the most penetrating and readable account of this subject ever published. It is a model of historical scholarship.”Howard M. Sachar
Synopsis
People of Oberammergau have received highest praise for their fidelity through 350years. But Friedman asks questions that must be addressed: "Can the traditional text be reconciled with the Gospels? Does the play generate harmful, stereotypic images of Jews? Is the Passion truly a 'hymn of reconciliation' or is it, as Nietzsche said of Wagner's Meistersinger, a 'lance against civilization'?"
About the Author
Saul Friedman is Professor of Near East and Jewish History at Youngstown State University.