Forming a Liberal Coalition of Reason: Political Theology in the Mendelssohn-Lavater Affair

Thus far, scholars have discussed the Mendelssohn-Lavater affair from a liberal perspective: Mendelssohn’s reply to Lavater has been principally read as a defense of toleration. The broader context of conversion discourse in eighteenth-century Germany drew little attention. Taking issue with such ap...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gillo, Idan (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: De Gruyter 2014
In: Naharaim
Year: 2014, Volume: 8, Issue: 1, Pages: 8-30
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)

MARC

LEADER 00000caa a22000002 4500
001 1523142715
003 DE-627
005 20220603171356.0
007 cr uuu---uuuuu
008 151209r20142014xx |||||o 00| ||eng c
024 7 |a 10.1515/naha-2014-0006  |2 doi 
035 |a (DE-627)1523142715 
035 |a (DE-576)453142710 
035 |a (DE-599)BSZ453142710 
035 |a (DE-B1597)naha-2014-0006 
040 |a DE-627  |b ger  |c DE-627  |e rakwb 
041 |a eng 
084 |a 1  |a 0  |2 ssgn 
100 1 |a Gillo, Idan  |4 aut 
245 1 0 |a Forming a Liberal Coalition of Reason  |b Political Theology in the Mendelssohn-Lavater Affair 
264 1 |c 2014 
300 |a Online-Ressource 
336 |a Text  |b txt  |2 rdacontent 
337 |a Computermedien  |b c  |2 rdamedia 
338 |a Online-Ressource  |b cr  |2 rdacarrier 
520 |a Thus far, scholars have discussed the Mendelssohn-Lavater affair from a liberal perspective: Mendelssohn’s reply to Lavater has been principally read as a defense of toleration. The broader context of conversion discourse in eighteenth-century Germany drew little attention. Taking issue with such apologetic-liberal readings, this paper interprets the Lavater affair as a polemical engagement with contemporary heterodox groups that regarded conversion as a necessary precondition for redemption. Mendelssohn’s reply, it argues, was a calculated political theology on the part of Enlighteners who sought to form a coalition of reason–including the Jewish and the Protestant orthodoxy, enlightened theologians, the state of Prussia and the Jewish financial elite. This coalition would fight Pietistic, Sabbatean, Frankist and other “enthusiastic” groups, for which the notion of redemption through conversion then became metonymic. Thus, the Lavater affair marks a turning point in the cultural, political and economical reconfiguration of eighteenth-century Germany. 
534 |c 2014 
601 |a Theologe 
773 0 8 |i In  |t Naharaim  |d Berlin [u.a.] : De Gruyter, 2007  |g 8(2014), 1, Seite 8-30  |h Online-Ressource  |w (DE-627)557575192  |w (DE-600)2405121-4  |w (DE-576)278242332  |x 1862-9156  |7 nnns 
773 1 8 |g volume:8  |g year:2014  |g number:1  |g pages:8-30 
856 4 0 |u http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/naha-2014-0006  |x Verlag  |3 Volltext 
935 |a mteo 
936 u w |d 8  |j 2014  |e 1  |h 8-30 
951 |a AR 
ELC |a 1 
ITA |a 1  |t 1 
LOK |0 000 xxxxxcx a22 zn 4500 
LOK |0 001 2875674773 
LOK |0 003 DE-627 
LOK |0 004 1523142715 
LOK |0 005 20170220103324 
LOK |0 008 151209||||||||||||||||ger||||||| 
LOK |0 040   |a DE-Tue135  |c DE-627  |d DE-Tue135 
LOK |0 092   |o n 
LOK |0 852   |a DE-Tue135 
LOK |0 852 1  |9 00 
LOK |0 935   |a gruy 
ORI |a SA-MARC-ixtheoa001.raw 
REL |a 1 
SUB |a REL