Antisemitism: The Supernatural Reason for the Rising Tide of Hatred

By Dr. Tim Orr

Antisemitism is reemerging with force, rooted in ancient patterns of hatred, manifesting with startling boldness across cultural, academic, and religious spheres. What was once whispered in the shadows of history is now broadcast on college campuses, embedded in high school curricula, and espoused by politicians and professors alike. Though its methods have shifted over the centuries—from religious prejudice to racialized hatred to ideological smear—its essence remains the same: a deep hostility toward the Jewish people that defies reason and resists eradication. This resurgence demands more than political awareness; it calls for theological discernment and spiritual resolve. If the church does not wake up to the supernatural forces behind this hatred, we risk repeating the grievous errors of silence and complicity. Antisemitism is not just a social injustice—it is a demonic distortion of truth. And it is our responsibility as Christians to both expose it and resist it with spiritual integrity.

Revisiting the Past

To understand the present, we must first revisit the past. Antisemitism traces its roots to antiquity, where the Jewish people were scorned not because of race or nationality, but because of religious difference. In the Book of Exodus, Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites out of fear—fear that their growing numbers and distinct identity threatened the stability of his empire. The Israelites worshiped one God, refused to assimilate into Egyptian polytheism, and practiced rituals that marked them off as a holy people. This separateness bred suspicion and ultimately violence. Similarly, in the Greco-Roman world, Jews were viewed with contempt because they refused to honor the pantheon of gods or pledge ultimate allegiance to Caesar. Their monotheism was seen as subversive. In both ancient Egypt and Rome, antisemitism was a response to the Jews’ theological defiance of cultural norms—proof that the conflict was fundamentally spiritual.

By the Middle Ages, antisemitism had evolved into a tool wielded by political and religious authorities to consolidate power and scapegoat an unpopular minority. The Church’s charge of deicide—the accusation that Jews killed Jesus—became one of the most toxic theological distortions in history. It fueled blood libels, pogroms, and expulsions throughout Europe. From England’s expulsion of Jews in 1290 (Roth, 1994) to Spain’s Alhambra Decree in 1492 (Netanyahu, 2001), antisemitism was institutionalized under the banner of Christian orthodoxy. However, such actions were entirely at odds with the teachings of Christ, who Himself was Jewish and wept over Jerusalem. Theologians like Augustine laid the groundwork for tolerating Jewish existence only as a living warning of spiritual blindness, and this ambivalence morphed over time into open hostility. The medieval Church, rather than seeing Israel as beloved for the sake of the patriarchs (Romans 11:28, New International Version, 2011), often treated the Jewish people as cursed. Their very presence was misused to justify the Church’s dominance, rather than invite humility and repentance.

The Enlightenment and the Racialization of Antisemitism

By the Middle Ages, antisemitism had evolved into a tool wielded by political and religious authorities to consolidate power and scapegoat an unpopular minority. The Church’s charge of deicide—the accusation that Jews killed Jesus—became one of the most toxic theological distortions in history. It fueled blood libels, pogroms, and expulsions throughout Europe. From England’s expulsion of Jews in 1290 to Spain’s Alhambra Decree in 1492, antisemitism was institutionalized under the banner of Christian orthodoxy. However, such actions were entirely at odds with the teachings of Christ, who Himself was Jewish and wept over Jerusalem. Theologians like Augustine laid the groundwork for tolerating Jewish existence only as a living warning of spiritual blindness, and this ambivalence morphed over time into open hostility. The medieval Church, rather than seeing Israel as beloved for the sake of the patriarchs (Romans 11:28), often treated the Jewish people as cursed. Their very presence was misused to justify the Church’s dominance, rather than invite humility and repentance.

The Enlightenment and the Racialization of Antisemitism

The Enlightenment promised liberation through reason and the eradication of religious superstition. Ironically, it also birthed a more sinister form of antisemitism: one not based on theology, but on race and nation. Jews were no longer merely seen as religious outsiders but as alien intruders within emerging nationalist ideologies. The rise of scientific racism and social Darwinism provided a pseudoscientific veneer to age-old prejudices. In this modern form, antisemitism no longer allowed for conversion or assimilation; the Jewish problem was not theological but biological. This shift laid the groundwork for the Holocaust, where six million Jews were exterminated (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.) in a horrifying collision of ideology, bureaucracy, and technology. The Holocaust is not only a dark stain on European history; it is a sobering reminder of how far societies can fall when they lose the capacity to recognize the sacredness of human life. And yet, despite the vow of “Never Again,” antisemitism has not disappeared—it has simply morphed once more.

Contemporary Expressions: Islamism and Progressivism

Today, we are witnessing two ideological engines powering a new wave of antisemitism—Global Islamism and Western Progressivism. Although these forces differ significantly in origin and worldview, they intersect at a critical point: their shared hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people. Global Islamism and Western Progressivism. Both may seem unrelated on the surface—one rooted in religious fundamentalism, the other in secular social theory—but they converge in their vilification of Israel and the Jewish people. Islamist antisemitism draws heavily on Quranic texts that accuse Jews of corruption, betrayal, and hardness of heart. These theological critiques, originally contextual, have been weaponized into broad-based hatred, particularly in the rhetoric of leaders from Iran, Hamas, and other radical groups. In the progressive West, antisemitism is more subtle, couched in terms of social justice and anti-colonialism. Elite universities like NYU, Harvard, and others have issued statements and petitions accusing Israel of genocide, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing—often without nuance, historical awareness, or concern for Jewish safety. The hatred, though differently packaged, stems from the same spiritual rot: a rejection of truth and a refusal to call evil by its name.

This ideological antisemitism is now seeping into America’s high schools.. In places like Santa Ana, California, ethnic studies curricula are being proposed that blame Israel for international war crimes and label its existence as a project of ethnic cleansing. These narratives do not just critique Israeli policies; they delegitimize the Jewish right to self-determination. More disturbingly, such teachings foster a hostile environment for Jewish students and normalize antisemitism under the guise of education. The danger is not only to Jews, but to truth itself. Once evil is normalized in classrooms, it will be accepted in boardrooms, courtrooms, and churches (Fox News, 2025). This is not merely a failure of civics—it is a failure of spiritual discernment. And it raises the question: What has happened to America’s moral compass?

The Moral Collapse of Discernment

Andrew Delbanco (1995), in The Death of Satan: How Americans Have Lost the Sense of Evil, provides a valuable lens for understanding our current failure to recognize antisemitism for what it truly is—a manifestation of moral evil. He argues that modern America has become morally adrift. Where the Puritans once saw Satan as a real enemy bent on destruction, today’s culture views evil as a psychological glitch or a social construction. Delbanco traces how the disappearance of the devil from our cultural imagination has left us unable to name or confront evil. This moral confusion, he contends, weakens our ability to respond to acts of hatred like antisemitism because we have lost the categories necessary to define them. We explain away mass shootings, genocides, and corruption in terms of systems, traumas, and behaviorism, but rarely as manifestations of moral depravity. The classic scene from Silence of the Lambs (Demme, 1991) captures this perfectly when Hannibal Lecter confronts Officer Starling: “You’ve given up good and evil for behaviorism… Look at me, Officer Starling. Can you stand to say I’m evil?” Lecter, a fictional monster, exposes a cultural truth—we no longer have the language or conviction to call evil what it is.

The Bible, however, does. Scripture insists that evil is not merely a social malfunction but a supernatural rebellion against God. Satan is not a metaphor but a real spiritual being who deceives, tempts, blinds, and devours. The Apostle Paul warns in Ephesians 6:12 that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Evil is not abstract—it has intelligence, intent, and influence. It operates through ideologies, institutions, and individuals. That’s why antisemitism, though it mutates across history, always carries the stench of the demonic. Satan hates the Jews because they remind him of God’s covenant, His faithfulness, and the coming fulfillment of all things in Christ. To oppose the Jewish people is, at a deeper level, to oppose the God who chose them, not for privilege, but for purpose.

Spiritual Warfare: The Church’s Call to Action

So, how should Christians respond? Not with fear, silence, or political posturing, though it must be acknowledged that Christian responses to antisemitism throughout history have varied, ranging from courageous solidarity to tragic complicity. Recognizing this complexity should deepen, not diminish, our present resolve. But with spiritual readiness. Paul calls believers to “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11, New International Version, 2011)—a metaphor for being spiritually prepared for warfare. This armor includes the belt of truth (discernment), the breastplate of righteousness (holiness), the shoes of gospel peace (bold witness), the shield of faith (resistance to lies), the helmet of salvation (confidence in identity), and the sword of the Spirit (Scripture). Importantly, Paul closes with a command to pray “in the Spirit on all occasions,” urging the church to engage corporately and persistently in prayer. This is no time for casual Christianity. We are in a cosmic conflict, and our weapons are not of the flesh but divinely powerful for demolishing strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4, New International Version, 2011).

Erik Raymond (2014) aptly describes Satan’s mission: to devour, deceive, destroy, blind, and obstruct people from knowing God.: to devour, deceive, destroy, blind, and obstruct people from knowing God. Christians have been given clear insight into the enemy’s strategies and sufficient resources to resist them. But we must be awake. Satan is not intimidated by a distracted, disunified church. What terrifies him is a praying, truth-speaking, holy, and united body of Christ. If antisemitism is spreading like wildfire, we must respond with spiritual firepower—fasting, intercession, proclamation of truth, and sacrificial love. The stakes are not just geopolitical; they are eternal. Lies are shaping souls, and only the light of Christ can expose them.

Conclusion: A Call for Courage and Clarity

In conclusion, antisemitism is not just a political problem or a cultural crisis; it is a spiritual manifestation of evil that strikes at the heart of God's covenantal purposes. As we have seen, it persists because society no longer recognizes or resists spiritual darkness. This ancient hatred continues to thrive in new ideological disguises, and Christians must not be caught unaware. The theological and historical record makes it clear: silence and complacency have always fueled its rise. We are called to be vigilant, to expose evil, and to actively contend for truth in prayer. Just as Paul exhorted the early Church to be spiritually armored, so too must we take up that call in our own generation. Let us remember that the battle is not merely against antisemitism itself, but against the principalities and powers that animate it. To resist this evil is to stand with God’s redemptive plan and against the schemes of the devil. This is the time for the Church to rise with clarity, courage, and compassion. It is a spiritual war—a direct assault on God’s covenant, God’s truth, and ultimately God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ. To remain silent is to allow darkness to spread unchecked. To speak up is not merely a political act—it is an act of faithfulness. Let us not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21, New International Version, 2011). The time is now for the church to rise—not in anger or anxiety, but in truth, prayer, and spiritual power. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. Let us use all three to stand with God’s purposes and against the schemes of the devil.

References

Demme, J. (Director). (1991). The Silence of the Lambs [Film]. Orion Pictures.

Fox News. (2025). Santa Ana schools accused of anti-Israel bias in curriculum. Fox News Reports. https://www.foxnews.com

Netanyahu, B. (2001). The origins of the Inquisition in fifteenth-century Spain. New York Review Books.

Roth, C. (1994). A history of the Marranos. Sepher-Hermon Press.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (n.d.). Documenting numbers of victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org

Delbanco, A. (1995). The death of Satan: How Americans have lost the sense of evil. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Raymond, E. (2014). What is Satan’s strategy?. The Gospel Coalition. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-is-satans-strategy/

The Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Biblica.

Who is Dr. Tim Orr?

Tim serves full-time with Crescent Project as the assistant director of the internship program and area coordinator, where he is also deeply involved in outreach across the UK. A scholar of Islam, Evangelical minister, conference speaker, and interfaith consultant, Tim brings over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry. He holds six academic degrees, including a Doctor of Ministry from Liberty University and a Master’s in Islamic Studies from the Islamic College in London.

In addition to his ministry work, Tim is a research associate with the Congregations and Polarization Project at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. His research interests include Islamic antisemitism, American Evangelicalism, and Islamic feminism. He has spoken at leading universities and mosques throughout the UK, including Oxford University, Imperial College London, and the University of Tehran. He has published in peer-reviewed Islamic academic journals. Tim is also the author of four books.