The Bible, Israel, and Antisemitism: Part 14: Jewish Bankers and the Birth of Modern Conspiracy Theories
European antisemitism took a more secular turn in the 19th century when the Rothschild family rose to prominence in the banking world. Nearly every modern antisemitic conspiracy theory about “organized Jewry” running Wall Street, the Federal Reserve, the media, Hollywood, the American government, or the entire world is based on the famous Rothschild family of the 19th century.
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812) of Frankfurt, Germany started out as a coin dealer who later expanded into rare coins and foreign exchange. He became an expert in exchange rates between the many small German states and built relationships with German noble families, providing them with reliable banking services, loans, and currency exchange.
Mayer Rothschild spread his business through his five sons in Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Naples, and Paris, creating the first international family banking network in Europe. The Rothschilds specialized in government finance and financed the British war effort against Napoleon. Theirs was not the only European banking house during the 1800s, but it was arguably one of the most powerful.
The Rothschild influence waned in the 20th century as Europe democratized, central banks replaced private royal financiers, American banking rose to prominence, and European wars disrupted the continental operations of the Rothschilds; for example, Hitler confiscated Rothschild assets in Frankfurt and Vienna.
It is an indisputable fact that there are many successful Jews in many fields of endeavor. But there is no evidence that “organized Jewry” cooperates to destroy competitors in a bid to control global finance, manipulate wars, and operate shadow regimes to dominate governments. That “organized” part of the conspiracy theory is always secret, built on antisemitic prejudice and folkloric suspicions of the Rothschilds of days gone by.
Hitler believed and propagated these lies. So do many Islamic radicals. And unfortunately these conspiracy theories are now gaining traction among conservatives, including conservative Christians. I have encountered it among several younger believers who have bought into the antisemitic propaganda of influencers like Stew Peters, Nick Fuentes, and Candace Owens. That is why I chose to write this series of blogs.
Nick Fuentes, for example, has said that “Hitler was really [expletive] cool” and that he’s “tired of pretending” otherwise, and that with regard to hating the Jews, “Hitler was right”. Unfortunately, Fuentes’ credibility was recently boosted by an uncritical and friendly interview with conservative journalist, Tucker Carlson, in which Fuentes said he was “a fan” and “always an admirer” of Josef Stalin, the brutal authoritarian responsible for the deaths of millions of his own Russian people. Carlson failed to challenge these statements, lending Fuentes an air of legitimacy. When I have publicly noted that Carlson made a bad decision here, I have met resistance, sometimes quite hostile, for daring to question Tucker Carlson.
I find the praise of evil tyrants by Fuentes and his ilk more than just an alternate historical opinion. It is a dangerous moral evil. Given the rise of violence against Jews around the world over the past years, I trust that my congregation and my readers will understand my concern that anyone naming the name of Christ would ever think that antisemitism is warranted or acceptable. It is a fiction and a lie that should NOT be tolerated by Christians—or by conservatives—at all.
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812) of Frankfurt, Germany started out as a coin dealer who later expanded into rare coins and foreign exchange. He became an expert in exchange rates between the many small German states and built relationships with German noble families, providing them with reliable banking services, loans, and currency exchange.
Mayer Rothschild spread his business through his five sons in Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Naples, and Paris, creating the first international family banking network in Europe. The Rothschilds specialized in government finance and financed the British war effort against Napoleon. Theirs was not the only European banking house during the 1800s, but it was arguably one of the most powerful.
The Rothschild influence waned in the 20th century as Europe democratized, central banks replaced private royal financiers, American banking rose to prominence, and European wars disrupted the continental operations of the Rothschilds; for example, Hitler confiscated Rothschild assets in Frankfurt and Vienna.
It is an indisputable fact that there are many successful Jews in many fields of endeavor. But there is no evidence that “organized Jewry” cooperates to destroy competitors in a bid to control global finance, manipulate wars, and operate shadow regimes to dominate governments. That “organized” part of the conspiracy theory is always secret, built on antisemitic prejudice and folkloric suspicions of the Rothschilds of days gone by.
Hitler believed and propagated these lies. So do many Islamic radicals. And unfortunately these conspiracy theories are now gaining traction among conservatives, including conservative Christians. I have encountered it among several younger believers who have bought into the antisemitic propaganda of influencers like Stew Peters, Nick Fuentes, and Candace Owens. That is why I chose to write this series of blogs.
Nick Fuentes, for example, has said that “Hitler was really [expletive] cool” and that he’s “tired of pretending” otherwise, and that with regard to hating the Jews, “Hitler was right”. Unfortunately, Fuentes’ credibility was recently boosted by an uncritical and friendly interview with conservative journalist, Tucker Carlson, in which Fuentes said he was “a fan” and “always an admirer” of Josef Stalin, the brutal authoritarian responsible for the deaths of millions of his own Russian people. Carlson failed to challenge these statements, lending Fuentes an air of legitimacy. When I have publicly noted that Carlson made a bad decision here, I have met resistance, sometimes quite hostile, for daring to question Tucker Carlson.
I find the praise of evil tyrants by Fuentes and his ilk more than just an alternate historical opinion. It is a dangerous moral evil. Given the rise of violence against Jews around the world over the past years, I trust that my congregation and my readers will understand my concern that anyone naming the name of Christ would ever think that antisemitism is warranted or acceptable. It is a fiction and a lie that should NOT be tolerated by Christians—or by conservatives—at all.