A lesser bigotry? The UK conservative evangelical response to Stephen Sizer's antisemitism

Mendelsohn, James; Howard, Bernard Nicholas

Abstract

Jewish commentators frequently lament that antisemitism is seen as a "lesser bigotry" by those claiming to oppose racism. This article argues that the response of British conservative evangelical Christians to the antisemitic activity of Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer is a prime example of this phenomenon. The article starts by defining conservative evangelicalism in the British context and explaining Dr. Sizer's position within it. It then describes his antisemitic conduct in detail. The article examines the disciplinary measures imposed upon Dr. Sizer by the Church of England, and it surveys the notoriety he earned in the UK media. The article then analyzes how Dr. Sizer's fellow British conservative evangelicals responded to his antisemitic activity, comparing this with their responses to other forms of racism. The article concludes by locating this episode within the context of other contemporary responses to antisemitism.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 12, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jul 7, 2021
• Publication Date: Jul 7, 2021
• Deposit Date: May 20, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 8, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism
• Print ISSN: 2472-9914
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 37-72
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.26613/jca.4.1.72
• Keywords: Stephen Sizer; Christianity; evangelicalism; conservative evangelicalism; racism; antizionism; antisemitism
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7411258