A decline in the number of negative references to Jews in Protestant Sunday School texts was reported today in a study being conducted by the Union Theological Seminary here. The study found that, with few exceptions, Jews were more advantageously presented by Protestant educators now than were other religious groups.
Dr. Bernhard E. Olson, who had initiated the study at Yale University, and who is continuing the investigation at the Seminary, said that this does not mean that all Protestant denominations present Jews and Judaism in a favorable light. The lessons of many conservative Fundamentalist groups that refer to Jews could be rated negatively, he declared.
Citing the frequent charge that the seeds of anti-Semitism might possibly exist in the Christian message, especially if it is carelessly presented, Dr. Olson explained that religious texts: sometimes give the ‘simplistic” idea that the “Jews killed Christ,” without regard to the Roman role in the crucifixion or the fact that Jesus was a Jew.
Dr. Olson stressed the possibility that the Christian child might connect the negative image of the ancient Jew, as depicted in a denomination’s Bible literature, with the Jewish children who live next door to him. He found, however, that church editors have become increasingly concerned about the images of the Jews that they are presenting.
The study, which will be published this fall under the title “Faith and Prejudice,” found that Protestant writers had far more difficulty dealing positively with Roman Catholics, than with Jews.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
