Observing the Sabbath: Rest, Bodily Practice, and the Debate about “Judaizing” in Reformation Germany
This article compares the Sabbath discourse in a tract on the observance of the Sabbath and statutory holidays (Von dem Sabbbat und geboten feyertagen, 1524) by the Protestant reformer Andreas Karlstadt (1486–1541) with a book about Jewish rituals (Der Gantz Jüdisch Glaub, 1530) by the convert from...
| Subtitles: | Bodily Practices and the European Reformations |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Reformation
Year: 2025, Volume: 30, Issue: 2, Pages: 141-159 |
| Further subjects: | B
Rest
B Sabbath observance B Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt B Judaizing B Anthonius Margaritha |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This article compares the Sabbath discourse in a tract on the observance of the Sabbath and statutory holidays (Von dem Sabbbat und geboten feyertagen, 1524) by the Protestant reformer Andreas Karlstadt (1486–1541) with a book about Jewish rituals (Der Gantz Jüdisch Glaub, 1530) by the convert from Judaism, Anthonius Margaritha (1492/1498–1542). Focusing on the bodily practice of rest, the article examines the idea of holiness, the Sabbath as a social institution, and the disciplined body resting on the Sabbath. It explores whether contemporary Jewish observance of the Sabbath with its focus on the biblically commanded practice of rest played a role in the Reformers’ quest for biblical authenticity. The article confirms that Judaism remained a critical reference point for Christian theologians but actual Jewish practice was dismissed as “carnal” and subversive. The accusation of “judaizing” served as a powerful rhetorical device to undermine a Christian opponent’s theological position. |
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| ISSN: | 1752-0738 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Reformation
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13574175.2025.2558786 |
