The Butcher's Tale: Murder and Anti-Semitism in a German Town

Smith explains the growth of antisemitism as rooted in Christian thought and attitudes, both in the Catholic Church and later in the Protestant churches. By the evidence of the book, did the churches play a large role in propagating antisemitic prejudice in 1900, or had antisemitism become more a social than religious problem?

Smith advances some psychological theories to explain antisemitic attitudes—e.g., the idea that medieval Catholic fears about Jews profaning the Eucharist were a form of self-projection. Do you find these theories convincing? Do they make his book more interesting, strengthen it, or weaken it?

Among the officials and journalists involved in the investigation are a number that are scornful of the ritual murder tale and antisemitic prejudice in general; these include Zedlitz, Braun, and Mayor Deditius. How much power and influence do these figures have?