Lutheranism, anti-Judaism, and Bach's St. John Passion

Disagrees with the view that Bach's "St. John Passion" essentially teaches hostility to Jews. Contrasts the Gospel of St. John with Bach's setting, focusing on the libretto and the influence on it of two major Lutheran Bible commentaries, by Calov and Olearius. Argues that the composer's post-Reformation theology emphasizes the guilt of all humanity for Jesus' crucifixion. Admits that Bach's setting does not deal with all of the troubling aspects of John's 1st-century text, e.g. the claim of Christian supersession. Recommends not censoring performances but providing critical commentary and extending Bach's direction to move in an ethically intelligent way to try and reconcile historical and modern concerns relating to Jewish-Christian relations. (From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)